Walking On Thin Ice
by BANIX
Summary: Being reincarnated is crazy enough. Being reincarnated into a fictional world is driving me mad. But finding yourself reincarnated into an alternate universe of said fictional world? I'm going insane. As if that is not enough, I am now reincarnated as a canon character who is probably doomed to die before I reached adulthood. (Reincarnated OC reborn into an AU of Naruto world)
1. Chapter 1- White

**Walking On Thin Ice**

Reborn Arc

It's white. It's cold. It's pretty.

The object of my attention has been here in this life for as long as I can remember. There's a strong sense of comfort in it even if I never liked the coldness of it in my previous life. According to my new Mum, I'm named after the pure snow that surrounds our village all year round. The snow was so pure and white at the moment of my birth that my new parents decided to name me 'Haku', which means 'white'.

It's a pretty bland way to name a child. I mean, can you imagine naming your child after a colour?

It's one thing to realise that you are dead and gone. It's another thing to realise that you had been reincarnated to live a second life. What I cannot accept is that I have been reincarnated into a _fiction_ story, where the entire economy of the world is seemingly dependent on people paying for the services of killers for hire.

No wonder this world never knew true peace until the Child of Prophecy came along. How is such an economy sustainable? To be honest, although Naruto became the Seventh Hokage and his presence ushered in an era of peace at the end, I don't think it will last long unless he does something and put some permanent measures in place. The only reason why the Elemental Nations are at peace with each other in the Boruto series is because no one is willing to go against the combined might of Naruto _and_ Sasuke. The camaraderie between the Five Great Shinobi Villages forged from the Fourth Shinobi War might have helped too, but that camaraderie won't last forever.

Kind of ironic that Nagato was actually right, that true peace can be achieved only when everybody understands and share the same pain. Without the Fourth Shinobi World War killing off half the shinobi population, the Elemental Nations would have never known true peace.

This is the world of Naruto, where people known as shinobis are able to defy all laws of physics and common sense thanks to the presence of chakra. I'm fine with the idea of chakra, what I don't like is how people here use chakra for vile means.

Chakra is beautiful, it shouldn't be tainted with such a bloody history.

I can feel it thrumming beneath my skin. I cannot explain it properly, since it's not present in my previous world. How can you explain the feeling of having something that does not exist? Chakra gives me a sense of comfort. It's always there. I had unlocked it somewhere between my fourth and fifth birthday in this world. However, I am the Haku from the Naruto verse. I know what will happen if the secret of my bloodline is leaked out. I don't want that to happen. I'm content in remaining as the son of two simple farmers who are just living their lives in a small, snowy village in the Land of Water. I have no wish to take part in any of the bloody history and future of shinobi. The very thought of it scares me. Sure, I had seen blood before when I visit the slaughterhouse the uncle of my previous life runs a few streets away from my house. Sure, I had seen dead people when the elderlies of my previous family passed away one after the other. My previous family was huge and very close-knitted despite its large size and I feel kind of guilty for dying since I know they will be heartbroken.

So, how did I die in my previous life?

My friends and I were playing by the beach and one of them decided to go for a swim. Somehow, the cliché scenario of the swimmer having cramps in his legs happened and he was too far out. To make things worse, there was an incoming storm. My friend was being quickly swept away by the currents that gets stronger the further you are away from the beach and into the sea. Guess who decided to play hero and save him?

I won't say that I regretted my decision. I was the best swimmer among the group and I at least knew for sure that he lived when I tossed a ring float at him to make sure he stays above water. However, I forgot to bring a float for myself in my haste and I was separated from my friend when an unexpected wave of water washed over us and I lost my grip on him. My friend was fine from what I can remember thanks to the float but I was dragged further out into the sea. I may be a good swimmer, but there's only so much a human can do against a force of nature.

And then I found myself here as a baby who just emerged through a woman's birth canal. I will skip the process of my rebirth, remembering it gives me goosebumps. It's _not _pleasant.

"Haku, it's time to head back."

My sweet and loving mother gently tapped me on the shoulder from behind and I immediately dropped the snow in my hands to follow her as she held my hand. I'm still too young to be of much help around the house or out in the farm (I still have no ideas how they managed to grow plants in a snowy land, but it's probably related to some chakra bullshit). This woman is my mother now, she has been nothing but kind and loving to me and I cannot help but love her for it. My father is the same too, he loves Mum and I, and his actions thus far are starting to make me doubt that whatever happened in canon will never come to pass, that even if he found out that Mum and I possess a kekkei genkai, he will still love us for who we are and not what we are. I know what he can possibly become if he ever finds out Mum's secret and that I inherited some 'traits' from her, but I am not going to be so careless as to use chakra anywhere near him or the house. The Land of Water is not a peaceful place even if the bloodline purges had just ended. People still fear kekkei genkai users. I like playing with chakra, but I know that until Mei Terumi takes over the position as Mizukage, I have to keep my abilities a secret.

Too bad I am still unable to manipulate ice or even snow. But hey, I can make small pools of water move now. That is something. All I have to do is to put my hands in the water and infuse it with some of my chakra and voila! The water moves to my every command!

"Welcome back."

"Tou-san!"

Dad gave a chuckle as I ran up to him.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yup! I went skating on the frozen river surface!"

My father smiled warmly and he patted the snow off my small frame with loving hands. My father has the tendency to pamper Mum and I whenever he can, and he tries his best to make our lives more comfortable in the remote village that we are living in. He looks normal although he isn't bad looking. However, it is obvious that I take after my mother, so much that I appear like a girl when I am actually a boy. I tried to make myself look more like a boy by cutting my hair short, but it ended up with my hair spiking up in all sort of places that make my hair look like a duck butt, so I abandoned that idea.

I think I kind of see why Sasuke decided to grow out his hair after the end of the manga series. Maybe Madara kept his hair long for the same reasons. It's hard to be intimidating if your hair resembles a duck's ass.

In the end, I decided to grow out my hair and tie it in a low ponytail similar to how Itachi does it. He's one of the guys in the series that managed to pull off the handsome-looking-guy-look with long hair despite having some feminine features. Maybe I can achieve the same effect if I tied my hair the same way he does.

My family had a quiet dinner and I really hope the peace in our home can last. Anyone with a pair of working eyes can tell that Dad and Mum love each other very much. I don't know how and why the fear of kekkei genkai managed to drive my father to the point of being heartless enough to decide to kill his wife and only child in canon, but I have no wish to find out. I don't want to be a shinobi if I can help it. The world out there is not a nice place and I am content with being able to manipulate small puddles of water instead of doing flashy jutsus. I'm fine with seeing gore and violence, but that does not mean I like it. I _abhor_ it. I hate conflict. I have no wish to experience the life of a shinobi even if I enjoyed reading the manga series. The only good thing that I got going for me is that the village I am living in is located in a remote area of the country and shinobis hardly pass by. Heck, if it wasn't for the fact that someone in the village mentioned chakra offhandedly in a conversation that I happened to eavesdrop and the fact that my name is Haku, I wouldn't have even known that I had reincarnated into the world of Naruto. It was from there that I decided to ask my parents more about the history of our land and I had confirmation from their mouths that yes, we are located in the Land of Water and as her citizens, we are protected by our Damiyo and Mizukage.

Protected by the Damiyo and Mizukage? Hah.

Whatever. Right now, I am the son of two simple farmers who will probably grow up to take over their jobs when I grow up. I'm fine with it, honestly. Life is hard given the state of poverty of our village, but at least life is simple here.

I want it to remain this way.

* * *

"What… What is the meaning of… _this_?!"

Dad confronted Mum with a snarl, holding up a pendant in his right hand as he shook in rage and fear. I had never seen such a frightening expression on his face before.

The pendant he is holding up is a pure white pendant with a circular jewellery at the end of the loop. Engraved on the jewellery is a picture of a snowflake that looks more like a symbol of sorts.

"D-Dear. I-I can explain…"

"_How long_ are you planning to keep it from me? _HOW LONG_?!" Dad screamed as he kicked at a stool in his fury and it banged against the wall. I winced as I hid myself from view outside of the room. I have no idea what Dad is so angry about, it's just a pendant.

"This… is the clan symbol of the _Yuki clan_." Dad gritted out. "Why is it with _you_?"

Fuck.

"It's not what it looks like! I… I just picked it up when I was travelling before I met you! I thought it was pretty and it can be sold for extra cash if we really need it! I didn't know what it means! I'm not from a clan! I promise! I can't even use chakra!"

"Don't _lie_ to me." Dad seethed in rage as he inched closer to Mum, who took a few steps back in fear. "You always use your hand to tuck your hair behind your ear when you are lying, like what you are doing right now. Haku also inherited that accursed power of your clan, didn't he?"

Mum slid down onto her knees as she hugged my father's legs and begged, tears streaming down her beautiful face. I want to yell in my father's face to tell him to stop being stupid. Can't he see? Mum loves him! Why does the fact that we have the ability to control ice make him fear us that much? Mum and I will never hurt him!

"_Please_. I will do anything. Hit me, torture me, kill me, but _please_, Haku is innocent. He doesn't know. The powers of my clan did not manifest in him. He's _our_ _son_. He-"

"Someone with that kind of accursed power is _not_ my son. I don't have a son like him."

"Are you listening to _what_ you are saying?! Haku is _our_ child!"

Just at that exact moment, several villagers barged their way in and I quickly hid myself.

"We heard shouting and screaming, did anything happen?! Are you guys alright?!"

I hid myself behind a shelf, I have no idea what to do. I don't want to make everything worse. Dad wouldn't tell them about Mum's secret, right? We are a family, the feelings we had for each other wasn't a lie, right? He loves the both of us, he cares for us, surely that will be enough for him to at least keep our secret for now, right? He wouldn't tell on me and Mum.

Right?

"My wife… no. This… _woman_, is from the Yuki clan. She possesses a kekkei genkai."

A sharp hitch of breath from my Mum was all I heard before she broke into tears and sobbed. No matter what she did, my father -_no, he is not my father anymore, not after what he did_\- just **won't budge**.

There was a moment of panic as the villagers reacted to the news, but it is obvious that they are hostile to me and Mum now. I bit the inside of my cheek. What do I do now?! Can I save Mum?

A sharp cry of pain was heard and I cannot force myself to stay hidden any longer. I took a peek into the room and saw that man who I used to call father strangling my mother as she let out choked screams.

I never felt so much rage in my entire life. This is insane. This is madness. I can't believe that this is happening right in front of my eyes.

"Let go of Mum!"

I rushed in to tackle that man and punched him in the kidney, successfully forcing him to release his grip on Mum. The other villagers jumped back in fear, as if I will suddenly kill them with powers that I didn't even know how to call upon.

"Haku!" Mum exclaimed as she hugged me and quickly cupped my face with her hands. "Run! It's not safe here anymore!"

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

"You need to GO! Your father and the villagers will kill you simply for being my child!"

A punch from a villager standing near us had me falling onto the ground and Mum screamed in rage as she hugged the man from behind to prevent him from hurting me any further. Isn't Mum from the Yuki clan? Can't she call upon her powers? Don't tell me…

She wasn't a shinobi and never awoke them? Like how Hashirama is the only member of the Senju clan capable of awaking the Wood Release, being a member of the Yuki clan doesn't automatically mean that you will be capable of calling ice to do your bidding?

"Haku! Run!"

Another villager grabbed onto her long hair from behind which elicited a pained cry from Mum. I snarled and picked up a traditional wooden hairpin lying on a nearby table that belongs to Mum and used it to stab the leg of the villager that was restraining Mum. My satisfaction was short lived when I was picked up from behind and thrown into the nearest wall and my head hit the wall with such force that I swore that the entire room shook with it. I whimpered in pain and my head felt light as I fought to stay awake from the heavy blow to my head.

That man who sired me stared at me with fearful eyes. I watched from the ground as he picked up a rake lying nearby that he uses for farming and walked towards me with slow, shaky steps.

"Haku! Run!"

A villager placed a hand on my father's arm.

"We can do the deed for you, you know, if it is too much for you to handle. Just wait outside."

Dad's breathing hitched but he forcefully calmed himself down.

"I… I can do it."

The villager had a grim expression on his face but passed a dagger to father.

"Use this instead. It will be quicker and it's less painful for them that way."

Mum gave another desperate scream and she somehow managed to break herself free from the hold of the other villagers and stood in between me and my father protectively.

"You are not harming Haku."

That man said nothing as he raised the dagger high up in the air before plunging it straight down. Mum blocked it by using her hands to hold onto his wrist and prevent the dagger from making its descent and the both of them wrestled on the floor as Mum pushed him down onto the floor with her weight. The villagers stood at the side, not wanting to partake in what will undoubtedly unravel to be a tragedy.

I tried to ignore the woozy feeling from the blow to my head and attempted to get up from the floor. I need water if I want to save Mum but there is no water source nearby. I am still unable to draw upon the power needed to freeze and create ice, but I can manipulate small amounts of water to an extent. I can use it to save Mum.

A sudden silence befell upon the room and I watched in horror as the dagger bury itself deep into Mum's chest where her heart is. Her blood spurted out as that man removed the dagger from her chest. Tears streamed down his face and Mum's lifeless body fell onto the floor.

_No. No no no nonononononononono._

"It… It will be painless, I promise." Dad whispered as he walked closer and closer to me and lifted the bloodied dagger again with shaking hands. "I'm sorry… Haku."

My mind wasn't registering the string of apologies that were coming out of his mouth. All I can register is the sight of my Mum's lifeless body lying face down on the floor and her blood pooling around her. Her usually serene and loving face is turned in my direction, stained with blood and etched with the horror that she failed to save me, her only child.

"Mum." I said in a hoarse voice and I felt my tears spilling out as I tried to crawl towards her. This isn't supposed to happen. I made sure to not practice chakra anywhere near the house and I made damn sure that I am alone whenever I was experimenting with chakra, so _WHY THE HELL IS THIS STILL HAPPENING?!_

_Is it because of the damn plot?!_ Am I destined to die on the _oh-so-great_ Great Naruto Bridge so that the stupid Child of Prophecy can find his own ninja way?! Is Mum's death necessary so that I can meet the stupid protagonist of a fictional world and die before I grow into an adult?!

The murderer had finished what he wanted to say to me and looked at me, the dagger still dripping blood and held up in the air with his hand.

"…goodbye, Haku."

The dagger fell.

And the room exploded in a burst of white.

* * *

I held the wriggling fish in one hand as I began the long trek back to the clearing beneath the huge tree where I had set up camp. At least I won't go on a hungry stomach tonight.

It has been a month since Mum was murdered.

I am not sure if it was a blessing or a curse when my kekkei genkai finally manifested itself when it did and killed every other soul in the room with huge ice spikes that sprouted from the ground. There are still times when I think that dying may have been a better option than staying alive in this cruel and twisted world, but I survived, and so I have a duty to live for Mum, who died for my sake.

The awakening of my kekkei genkai had also improved my control over water and I can control larger amounts of them now. I am also now able to freeze liquids to create ice, although doing so takes a lot more effort. I am still unable to create ice out of thin air like what canon me did, but at least I can create them as long as I have a water source nearby.

I absently touched Mum's pendant hanging around my neck and hidden under my shirt. It is the only thing I have that reminds me of Mum and the clan that I supposedly belong to. I refuse to acknowledge that man as my father, not after what he did. I am not going to take after his family name. I had loved him, I had trusted him, I had faith that he is different from the man that I know from canon, I had decided to give him a second chance.

Look where that had gotten me. I shouldn't have trusted him. I will never trust anyone again until they prove themselves worthy of my trust. I should have known. This is the world of shinobi, there's no one you can trust other than yourself.

If there is one thing I regret, it is that I am unable to give Mum a proper burial. I had to leave quickly before the other villagers realised what happened. All I could do for Mum is to close her eyes shut before giving her a kiss on her forehead to say my farewells, grab whatever I think I need to escape out of here, taking Mum's pendant along with me, and bolted out of the village still caked in my father's blood.

The sight of my parents' corpses is a memory I will never forget.

Due to my kekkei genkai's reliance on a water source, I always keep at least a bottle of water on me and it will always have some water in it. It's my only trump card if I want to stay alive. I'm unsure if the other villagers will track me down and hunt me for who I am, it's not hard to piece two and two together given the ice formation I left behind in my former home and the infamy of my clan that I never met. I decided to flee into the woods, I may have a higher chance to survive there. I will take on wild beasts any day compared to a horde of prejudiced, hate-filled humans. My bloodline can protect me from beasts, but not from humans.

Thankfully, I met none of the two mentioned groups thus far.

My control over water makes it easier for me to fish. All I need to do is to take control of the surrounding water around the fish I want to hunt and lift it out of the river flowing through the woods in a poor imitation of a miniature Water Prison Jutsu and drop the fish into my waiting hands. Don't ask me why there is a river in the middle of the woods, I don't know either. But considering that I am in the Land of Water, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. The country is probably named as such due to the abundance of water bodies here.

As of now I am just walking blindly by following the river to wherever it leads me. It is a well-known fact that most rivers in the Land of Water leads to the sea, and thus following it should get me out of the dense woods sooner or later. I want to get out of the Land of Water, anywhere is better than here. The Third Shinobi World War should be over by now if my memory of canon serves me right. I am five years old this year going on six, only a few years older than Naruto who should be born by now, so going by that logic, there should be some semblance of peace in the Elemental Nations for the next decade or so.

I need to get out of here. It's not safe for me to be here, not with all the hate towards kekkei genkai users still running wild here. Without a war brewing outside, anywhere is safer than here where genocides are a common occurrence.

The Land of Water is made up of many islands that are clustered together, and it is surrounded by waters on all side. To get out of the country, I need to somehow acquire a boat to ferry me to the continent that makes up the rest of the Elemental Nations. I don't think I can buy a ticket to get me out of here, I have no money on me since the stash of money my parents kept was destroyed in my outburst of power. So I either have to steal a boat and pray that it will be enough to get me out of the country assuming the sea don't swallow me up like it did in my previous life, or smuggle myself onto a ship and hope that I don't get caught.

I uncapped my bottle and took a sip of water while walking before making a turn in the woods and found the clearing where I had set up camp, only to find that it is now occupied.

By a shinobi, if his gear and how he dressed himself are any indication, and a foreign one at that.

There's no one in the Land of Water that is born with such dark skin, this guy is definitely from Kumo even if I don't see his forehead protector anywhere. Great, just my luck.

"Oh, who do we have here?"

A tall, slim man with dark eyes, black hair and goatee sauntered up to me and I inwardly cursed myself for not checking my surroundings. I had grown complacent with the lack of wild beasts and human presence in the past month that I was here. I had assumed that I was safe. This ninja is looking down at me for being a child, that much is certain, but what is a shinobi who obviously hail from Kumo doing all the way here in the remote woods of the Land of Water?

As if he read my thoughts, the Kumo nin started to monologue.

"I just wanted to lose my tail so I decided to detour to the Land of Water, I never expect myself to bump into another kid. Are you a shinobi? You have quite a decent amount of chakra for someone your age. Can't have you going back to warn anyone else now, can I?" The Kumo nin said as he twirled a kunai lazily with one finger.

The large sack that lay beside where he used to sit before we found each other started to move. Something is in there, and I am not sure if that something is human.

"Damn, that kid is starting to stir." The shinobi grunted before focusing his attention on me again. "I really want to meet up with my team near Kumo's borders, the weather here is so humid it's not even funny. But those damn tree huggers are hot on my trail and I have to detour all the way here just to lose them."

So he is alone? That makes things easier.

A muffled cry from the sack caused the man to turn his head and snap his attention back to it.

"Oi, shut up! You-"

An opening.

In this world, sometimes it doesn't really matter how strong you are. All it takes is for one slip-up on your part and you will be dead before you know it. The opening of my uncapped bottle has been pointing in the shinobi's direction the whole time he was monologuing, the fact that he underestimates me helps too. He's also standing way too close to me.

A jet of water shoots out from my bottle and turned into a spear of ice before piercing into the shinobi where his heart is. He let out a shout with a mixture of surprise, shock, and anger but the ice burst out from within him before he could do anything else, and he soon lay on the floor in a bloody mess with spikes of ice jutting out from all over his body. I panted as I catch my breath and to calm myself down. I was extremely lucky that I managed to save myself from the near-death situation. This is way too dangerous for it to be a pleasant experience. I have no doubt that the Kumo nin meant it when he said that he will kill me, it's either him or me.

Killing is easy. I had killed my father, why will killing anyone else be any harder? Killing and hunting wild animals for food for the last month had also kind of desensitised me to blood and gore. This did not affect me as much as I originally thought it would.

Humans are truly a highly adaptable species. I don't know if I should be awed or disgusted by my thoughts.

The muffled cries from the sack caught my attention again as whatever it is holding inside starts to squirm. I think there is a child in there. The cries sounded human and only a child can fit into a sack that size.

I picked up the kunai the Kumo nin had dropped onto the ground upon his death and used it cut the rope tying up the opening of the sack. Like I expected, a child, a girl probably about three to five years of age, give or take, wormed her way out and I quickly cut the ropes binding her and removed the gag over her mouth and the blindfold around her eyes. She wore a beautiful orange kimono that is made of high quality, far better than what I had seen in my short life here and have dark brown hair that extends up to her shoulders.

What was shocking is the colour of her eyes.

A pair of huge, white eyes with a hint of lilac in them stared at me as I stared back at them.

A Hyuga, she has to be a Hyuga. No one else in the Naruto world has eyes like these.

Shit, what the hell is going on?!

* * *

**AN: This is an experimental story that I came up halfway while planning out the future plotline of my FT fic, TAOFT, and I wrote a few chapters just to see if such a concept is feasible. It has been sitting in my com for god-knows-how-long and I kind of forgot about it until I accidentally reopened the file. I don't know if I will ever get to finish this story since it will definitely be another long-ass one, or if it will ever be a successful story since this an AU fic of the Naruto verse, and there aren't a lot of stories about a reincarnated oc reborn into an AU verse for me to see if such stories do work out. **

**Warning: there will be massive changes to the canon storyline, and some of you may not like or accept the changes. The updates for this story will also be remarkably slow compared to my other fics since my priority will go to my other existing fics, especially IJWTTTW. The updates for WOTI will definitely be slow, but I will see if I can squeeze some time in to get some chapters out when my semester is over (and hopefully I pass all my modules for this semester). And like I said, this is an experimental story to begin with, so don't expect A+ quality or anything, I will probably drop myself into a plot hole at one point in this story. I just thought that it is a waste to let the few chapters I wrote for this story waste away in my hard drive when there is some potential in it. Hopefully there's enough potential in the idea for this story to make it work.**

**Other than that, have fun reading.**


	2. Chapter 2- Journey

I'm going crazy.

"Haku! How long more till we get to dry land?"

"A few more days." I replied as we both huddled in the storage room that the captain of the rather shady looking ship had kindly arranged for us to sleep in. It's a little cluttered, but otherwise the living conditions here isn't that bad. This isn't what is driving me crazy, what is driving me crazy is the girl, or rather, **_who _**the girl is.

The girl I found in the sack of the Kumo nin is Hyuga Hanabi. _Impossible_. There's no way this is possible, but the evidence is right here in front of my eyes. Canon Hanabi is around five to seven years younger than Hinata, I'm sure about that. In canon, Hinata was kidnapped by a Kumo shinobi when she was three years old, resulting in the Hyuga affair, so Hanabi shouldn't exist yet. But right here in this world, Hanabi had been born early. That alone told me that something had changed. From what I can see, the Hyuga affair did happen, but the Kumo shinobi somehow escaped, got himself in the Land of Water instead of running back to his village from what I understand in the monologue he gave before I killed him, and kidnapped Hanabi instead of Hinata. There are so many things wrong here that I don't even know where to start. The Kumo shinobi didn't get himself killed by Hiashi? He actually escaped out of the Land of Fire? Hanabi and Hinata are apparently of the same age? They are _twins_?

What? How? Why? Just…

_WHERE_ did I exactly got myself reincarnated to?!

This is obviously a different Naruto world, a world different from the one that I had read about in my previous life. With Hanabi's early presence, there's no telling who is now alive and who is dead. For all I know, the first Hokage is Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama is the villain here. Maybe Jiraiya deserted the village instead and Orochimaru is the only loyal Sannin left.

All of my prior knowledge may very well be shot to hell.

After getting over my initial shock, I brought Hanabi along with me to find our way out of the Land of Water. I cannot just leave her there, I just can't. It took us about another week of following the river, but we eventually found ourselves in a town that also serves as a port. However, Hanabi's clothings and eyes are too recognisable in the run-down town, she will be snatched up by shinobis or civilians who fear anyone with kekkei genkais the moment we took a step in there. I gave her a set of my spare clothes that I brought along with me to change into so that she can blend in as a local and gave her a blindfold to cover her eyes so that no one will recognise her as a Hyuga. We are playing the role of an elder brother who is taking care of his blind younger sister. I also purposely dirtied ourselves to look like street orphans, no one in the Land of Water pay much attention to them. Hanabi went along with my plan with little fuss even if she is annoyed at getting dirtied. I think being brought up in a shinobi clan might have let her understand the importance of what we are doing. Compared to children her age in my previous world, she is very mature even if she throws a little tantrum every now and then, but it is nothing I cannot handle.

I led the blindfolded Hyuga around town trying to find a way for us to get a boat or ship that is willing to ferry us out of here. The Third Shinobi World War and bloodline purges might have ended, but the entire country is still on lockdown. The only way we can get out is to find someone who is willing to smuggle us out, or to steal a boat and use it to get out of here. Personally, I prefer if we can find people who are willing to smuggle us out. I have no idea how to row a boat or operate a ship, even if it is a small one. I don't even know how to navigate the treacherous waters surrounding the country.

After visiting a few shady establishments, I managed to find someone who went by the name of Noki. I don't think that is his real name, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that he is a smuggler that smuggle goods in and out of the country with his crew even if I don't know what the goods are exactly. He never told me the specifics and it is better for me if I don't know. However, he is having troubles trying to get in touch with his contacts in the Land of Water due to the wary eyes of the Kiri shinobi border patrol. He is a little notorious around these parts and it is a little difficult for him trying to move around undetected.

The moment I know of his trouble, I volunteered to help. No one will suspect a kid being involved in smuggling operations and Noki seems like a nice enough man despite his career choice. For starters, he didn't beat us or chase us out of the shady bar that Hanabi and I were hiding ourselves in. I think he have a soft spot for kids given the way he treated me and Hanabi, especially Hanabi, since she is playing the role of a blind girl and Noki always remind her to watch her steps whenever we move about together.

With my assistance, I managed to help Noki link up with his contacts. Noki kept his word and allowed us to come aboard his ship the next time he and his crew leave for the next shipment. Lady Luck was also smiling down on us as his destination happened to be the Land of Fire, where Hanabi's home is located.

Even if Hanabi and I managed to secure our passage to leave the Land of Water, Noki is a firm believer in earning your keep among his crew. Hence, even a kid like me have to help out on the ship although Hanabi is exempted from this due to her 'blindness'. I don't mind the arrangement. Noki is kind enough to help me and Hanabi when he could simply leave me in the Land of Water after taking advantage of my assistance. The ship is crammed with people and crates of goods, but he still cleared out a space for Hanabi and I to stay in the ship's storage room. Given my young age, there's not much I can contribute since I don't have the strength to lift all the heavy load, so I decided to make myself useful by becoming the errand boy of the ship. Delivering drinks, towels, verbal messages, and meals are what I usually do in the two weeks I was with Noki's crew.

"You are spacing out again." Hanabi complained as she gave a huff and put her hands crossly on her hips. "Reply me! I'm bored here!"

"I'm tired." I replied as I lay down on the floor to get some shuteye. It's finally night time and I just want to sleep right now. Noki is a slave driver.

"Can I take off my blindfold? Pleeeeeeeeasee?" Hanabi whined in a whisper and leaned in my direction, her face near mine and keeping her voice low so that her cover will not be blown. At least she's smart enough to know the importance of her cover. There's no telling what Noki will do if he found out that both of us possess kekkei genkai, even if he appeared kind to us. There was a man that used to love Mum and I too, but look at what he did.

"No." I replied sternly and flick my finger on her forehead, causing her to trip and fall on her backside. "Not until we are safe in the Land of Fire. Even then, you might need to keep the blindfold on until I pass you into the safe hands of the shinobis of your village. Do you know that your kidnapping might have very well cause another war? Just endure it for now."

"Hakuuuuuuu."

"No. Go to sleep, it's late." I said as I turn on my side away from her to get some sleep.

"I've been doing nothing the whole day." She complained as she moved to sit beside me. She had long since memorised the layout of the storage room by fumbling around since she had nothing better to do for the entire duration of our sea journey. "I'm going crazy!"

_Your presence itself is driving me crazy and you don't see me complaining about that, do you? You are not even supposed to be born yet._

Despite my inner thoughts, I just sighed and turn back around to face her.

"Will you keep quiet if I tell you a story?" What story should I tell? I may need to change the context to something a child of a shinobi can understand too. Hmm, decisions, decisions…

"Really? You have stories to tell?" Hanabi said excitedly as she lay down beside me on her side to face me.

"How well do you know about summon animals?"

"Otou-sama said that you have to form a contract with them, and you also need to convince them to fight alongside you." Hanabi answered seriously. "But I don't know much beyond that. Most of my clan don't use summons."

"Right. So this is a story of the summon realm. Listen carefully, cos I'm not going to repeat myself. A long, long time ago, in the lands of the summon realm of… let's call it Africa for now. The King of the lion summons, Mufasa, and the Queen of the lion summons, Sarabi, had a son named Simba…"

* * *

"Take care of yourselves now, kiddos."

"Thank you for giving us a ride here, Noki-san." I said respectfully and thanked Noki on Hanabi's behalf as well.

"You guys are heading towards Konoha, right? Just follow the main road down there. It should be safe even for kids like you since it is heavily monitored by the leaf nins as long as you stick to the main road." Noki helpfully pointed out with his finger in a direction that leads out of the coastal town that his ship had docked in.

After saying our farewells and receiving some food and water from Noki, Hanabi and I set out for Konoha. I am having mixed feelings about this. Things are obviously different in this world from the canon one that I had read about and there is no telling what will happen if I am added to the mix. I have no idea what to expect from the shinobi world since my original village is pretty much isolated and cut off from the outside world. Hanabi doesn't know much either about her village since she is usually cooped up at home with her sister and she is only four years old no matter how mature she is. I could have asked Noki, but that might have raised suspicions that we don't need.

I don't want to go to Konoha where most of the plot had happened. I don't want to get myself tangled into that mess. The best course of action now is to see if we can find any Konoha shinobis patrolling this route and to drop Hanabi off with them.

Hanabi and I walked for a few hours, following Noki's advice and sticking to the main road. Our hairs are unkempt and our clothes are torn in a few places from all the travelling we experienced since we first met in the Land of Water, but otherwise we are ok. Hanabi still had her blindfold on just in case some nasty bandits or shinobi found out about her heritage and attempt to kidnap her again. She didn't like the arrangement, but I somehow managed to persuade her. I held her hand as we walked, and I am trying very hard to see if I can spot a Konoha shinobi border patrol squad that might help Hanabi find her way back home. Apparently the location of the lookout of the border patrol are a secret from the civilians, none of them were able to direct me to a known location where Konoha shinobis congregate other than the Konoha village itself and the town we initially found ourselves in do not have any Konoha shinobis at the moment. I'm very tempted to just call out for them and hope they show themselves to us, but that might not be a very smart move and I have no idea if I will attract the right kind of attention.

"Let's rest here for the night." I said as we entered a small hole within a large tree not far from the main road. Some shinobi probably had hollowed it out for resting purposes. It's too neatly done for it to be anything but the work of a shinobi. The interior of the hollowed tree will shelter us from the wind and cold during the night.

"Ne, Haku." Hanabi tugged on my sleeves to get my attention as I gave her the all clear to remove her blindfold in this small and enclosed space. It's not healthy for her eyes to keep her blindfold on all the time. She blinked a few times to adjust to the waning sunlight that is disappearing thanks to the setting sun as I took out some rations for us to eat.

"What is it?" I said as I munched on a dry dough-like thing. I don't even know what to call it and it does not taste remotely nice, but at least it is filling.

"Will you go back to Konoha with me?" Hanabi asked as she sat in front of me, her face a few inches away from mine and I instinctively tilt my head back to gain some distance. I prefer my own personal space uninvaded. Hanabi, on the other hand, have no concept whatsoever regarding personal space.

"Nah." I replied dismissively as I handed her one of those circular dough-like atrocity. "I will see if I can drop you off with a Konoha patrol or if we reach Konoha itself, whatever comes first. But I am not going to stay in Konoha."

"But, but, _why_?!" Hanabi's voice rose a few notes higher as she started to visibly panic and her hands flailed about. "Konoha is nice! You will love it! You don't have anywhere else to go anyway!"

I scowled and Hanabi immediately kept quiet. She knew that I don't like to be reminded of the fact that I lost my home. I didn't tell her of my past before meeting her, especially about my parents, but I told her enough for her to know that I have nowhere else to go and no one will miss me even if I am dead.

"The world is a big place. I'm sure that I can find a place to stay." I said as I took a gulp of water to rinse my mouth of the yucky taste that is still lingering there.

"Can't that place be Konoha?" Hanabi said softly. "If you don't stay there, we will probably never meet again."

"That will probably be the case." I admitted. "But Konoha is a shinobi village, and I don't exactly have a good impression of any shinobi village that I know about. You will forget about me soon enough anyway."

"I won't!" Hanabi said fiercely and for a moment, I thought that she had awakened the ability to use her byakugan instinctively. Despite the fact that she was born with it, she still hasn't learnt how to use it due to her young age. Her parents had not gotten around to teach her yet. "I won't forget you!"

There was a fleeting moment of warmth in my heart, but it faded away as quickly as it came. I patted Hanabi on the head and lay down on the floor. All the walking had tire me out. Hanabi had also finished eating by now and she lay beside me and gave me a hug. I wanted to free myself, but it only encouraged her to tighten her hold on me.

"What do you want now?"

Hanabi lifted her face to look at me. She put on a pleading expression and her eyes started to glisten.

Oh no, not the waterworks.

"No, Hanabi. Don't you dare."

Her lips began to quiver and the frequency of it got faster and faster at each passing second. Hanabi's entire body starts to tremble as well and I can see the liquid in her eyes threatening to spill out.

"Alright! I will consider about it, ok?"

Hanabi's expression suddenly did a one eighty and she gave a cheer. The hell, it was an act all along? I got fooled by the infamous puppy eyes jutsu?!

"Yay! Now you will go back to Konoha with me!" Hanabi pointed a finger at me. "Don't go back on your promise! Otou-sama told me those that went back on their promise will never become a strong shinobi!"

"I don't even want to be a shinobi. And I said I will consider the option, doesn't mean that I will definitely go to Konoha with you. I'm dropping you with the patrols or at the village gates and that's where we will part ways." I retorted as I turned away from her on the ground, trying to get myself some sleep. There's never a moment of peace and quiet with Hanabi around whenever we are alone.

"Hakuuuu!"

* * *

We rose at the crack of dawn the next day, had our breakfast by finding some wild fruits to eat, refill our water supply from a nearby stream, and got ourselves ready for another long journey. I helped Hanabi put on her blindfold and we both set out once again, with me holding her hand so that she doesn't faceplant on the ground or knock into anything else. We should be safe since we are now in the Land of Fire, but I don't want to risk any chances regarding Hanabi's safety. If that Kumo nin was able to escape all the way to the Land of Water, there might be a small chance that his allies or other foreign shinobis are hiding nearby as well. I wonder where the Konoha border patrol went? I haven't seen any hide nor hair of them. Are we still too far from the heart of the country where the village is located? Surely they must have noticed us by now, right? Or did something happened back at the village so that is why there's no one here to man the roads?

The both of us made small talk throughout the journey to stave off the boredom, although we both made sure not to give our identities away in our conversations. I address Hanabi as "Hana" whenever we are outside to prevent any unwanted eavesdropper who might listen in on us as we passed by. It has been that way since we are in the Land of Water. The word 'Hana' means flower, and it is a common enough name for girls in the Elemental Nations. We won't raise any suspicions that way.

We spent two more days travelling in this manner, and the road we were on gradually smoothed out and looked more well-maintained the more we walked further inland. We are probably getting closer to Konoha. Noki had told us it would be about a three-day journey to Konoha by foot, although it might take us longer since we are both kids. However, at the rate Hanabi and I are going, I think we can expect to see the legendary gates of Konoha within the next day or the day after that. Maybe we can see them before the sun sets today if we are fast enough. Who knows? It's not like we have a map to keep track of our location. I wonder how the Konoha village gates look like in real life? Will the eternal chunin guards be stationed there? What are their names again? Ko-something and…

I forgot. Whatever. I will see if I can remember their names if I see them.

Still, why is there not even a single presence of shinobi along this road?! I know shinobis are supposed to be all sneaky and stuffs, but this is taking it a little bit too far!

The displacement of air and the whistle of a flying projectile is all the warning I had before I pressed Hanabi onto the ground with my body. A shuriken flew passed our heads and embedded itself onto a tree next to us with a 'thunk' and several shinobis appeared. Three of them. I'm not sure if there are more hiding around, but I will assume the worst case scenario that there are at least one or two more that managed to hide from my view.

The best part? They are Kumo shinobis. Fuck. Why are they still here so close to Konoha! What is Konoha's border patrol doing?! You will have thought that Konoha would have killed the Kumo shinobis after what they did to kidnap Hanabi!

"Hand over that girl and you will live, kid." One of the shinobis, a male, said in a monotone voice. "It was good thinking on your part to cover her eyes in a blindfold and pretend that she is blind to hide her identity, but you can't fool us."

I took a step back and placed myself in between the Kumo shinobis and Hanabi, my right hand clutching onto the cylindrical water bottle that I always kept on me. How are we supposed to deal with this situation?!

The only way that I can think of that might help us is a distraction. We need a distraction and then the both of us need to hightail out of here towards Konoha. We should be very close to the village after walking for so long. I extend my chakra senses, trying to feel for any potential water source other than the one I'm currently holding in my hand.

To my delight, I found that one of the Kumo nin had a water bottle attached to the belt on his hip. The others probably stored theirs in a scroll or something since I don't feel any water source on them. I wanted to see if I can control their blood since blood is mostly made of water, but the Kumo shinobis had stronger chakra than a kid like me. My idea of using their blood against them probably won't work since my control over water mainly revolves around the concept of infusing my chakra into the water, even if I am capable of remotely controlling water without physically touching them. I still have no idea how I did that, but I know instinctively that it is harder to control water infused with the chakra of another's. Controlling their blood will never work since I am so much weaker than them.

Still, even taking one of them down is enough.

My left hand which was holding onto Hanabi's right gave two rapid subtle squeezes, a signal that we had agreed upon that means 'prepare to run at any time'. I felt Hanabi giving an affirmative squeeze in return.

I took in a deep breath. It's all or nothing now.

Without warning, I took control of the water in the Kumo shinobi's bottle and it burst out in a pressurised stream and pierced the shinobi from the side. With a wave of my hand, the spear of water rotates and lengthen horizontally, spinning like a rotating blade and bisect the unlucky shinobi into two. The two halves of the Kumo shinobi fell onto the ground as his blood and guts sprayed everywhere, his face an expression of disbelief as he breathed his last.

I still can't believe how easy it is to take a life in this world. I'm surprised that I'm not even the least affected by it and that I actually succeeded in my sneak attack. What had happened to my mental state?

The other two managed to get out of the way in time and jumped to the side to avoid sharing the same fate as their comrade. I took this chance and pulled Hanabi with me, running past them towards the direction of Konoha. Hanabi took off her blindfold as well to allow her to see where she is running. Our cover is busted anyway, no point hiding her eyes anymore.

"Kiharu!"

"Not now, Ju-chan! The target is running away!"

The two shinobis were on us in an instant and it was only when I mentally commanded the spear of water to rain down on them as water needles that they were deterred for a short while. Even now, I am still a little bewildered at how easy water bends to my will, but I am not complaining.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Bullet!"

Hanabi and I barely managed to duck the bolt of electricity and we quickly scrambled to get up and run again. The only kunoichi of the group gave chase and threw a bunch of shurikens, probably trying to injure our legs so we couldn't run, but I willed the water in my water bottle to emerge and cover us like a shield. It is not enough to stop the shurikens from piercing through, but my chakra changed the density of the water and that was enough to change the shurikens' trajectory and miss us.

The male shinobi suddenly appeared in front of us and punched me in the jaw, forcing me to let go of Hanabi's hand and I was sent tumbling face first into the dirt. The kunoichi physically restrained a struggling Hanabi.

"You think the boss will want this kid? He's good. What he did might be the result of a kekkei genkai."

"He killed Kiharu!"

"We are on a mission. You know the risks."

I growled as I saw Hanabi struggling to break free. What is with this world? It's not hard to imagine what will happen to Hanabi if she was taken back to Kumo. Her entire life will be spent as a baby making factory. She will be raped by men the moment she is old enough to bear children, and they will keep doing so until she cannot do it anymore. And when she finally lost her usefulness, her eyes will probably be dug out and then…

I shivered in rage at the thought of Hanabi's fate. This world is a screwed up world. What kind of world is this where a father will willingly kill his wife and child simply because they are born with powers they didn't ask for? What kind of world is this where kidnapping and raping of children is justified for the sake of the military strength of the village?

I hate this world. I want to die, but I am too cowardly to kill myself. I also want to live, but I am afraid of what will happen simply by breathing the same air as these accursed shinobis and the fear of becoming part of the collateral damage if I got caught up in their spats in civilian towns or villages. Hanabi may be annoying at times and too talkative for my tastes, but she is a sweet girl that wants nothing more than to be back home and reunite with her family. She doesn't deserve the fate that Kumo wants to force upon her, all for their twisted idea of strength.

I will save her. No one deserves that kind of fate, especially her.

I am fairly certain that the only hostile shinobis nearby are the two Kumo shinobis. If they have other companions they will have emerged by now.

I stood up shakily from the ground and glared at the two Kumo shinobis. I can feel my chakra responding to my emotions and swirl angrily within me. The two of them just gave me an uninterested look, not deeming me as a threat.

"Haku! Run!" Hanabi shouted as she tried to break free from the hold of the Kumo kunoichi.

"Hanabi, don't move."

I concentrated and tried to recall the feeling when I first called upon the massive amount of ice to kill the man who sired me. I need that power now, I need it now more than ever. I never liked my bloodline ever since that day as it was what caused my mother's death, the one person who truly loved me. Hanabi is a close second, even if that is because I don't have much interactions with other people beyond my family and her before this.

The kunoichi is currently standing on the moist ground where the water I was controlling had fell when I lost my focus from her companion's punch. I have her where I want her to be.

Hanabi stopped squirming upon my words and the look in her eyes conveyed a sense of unwavering trust. Why? Why does she place so much trust in me? I don't deserve it. Don't look at me in this manner, I cannot take it. I might have just doomed us to our deaths for what I'm planning to do.

With a shout, I managed to focus enough chakra and the willpower to control the water on the ground to rise and it quickly froze into a spear of ice and impaled the kunoichi from below and killed her instantly, she wasn't expecting the sneak attack. I managed to dodge the swipe of the kunai from the last shinobi, who is now attacking in rage.

He is not the only angry one. I am furious too.

I rolled on the ground to get behind him and hugged him from behind around his waist, preventing him from going after Hanabi.

"Hanabi! Go! Go to the village! It shouldn't be too far from here! Keep running and don't look back!"

"Haku!"

"Just go! Go find some help if you don't want to see me dead!"

Hanabi's face was stained with tears as she finally mustered the strength to run towards the direction of Konoha.

"Fucking brat!"

The man's kunai stabbed my arm and I cried out in pain, but I only tighten my hold on him. I am not allowing him to harm Hanabi.

The man kept stabbing my arm repeatedly in an effort to force me to let go of him. He could have just aimed for my neck and kill me straight away, but he probably chose not to in case my abilities stemmed from a kekkei genkai, if I guessed his reasoning correctly. It is a well-known fact that among the great five shinobi villages, Kumo had the least number of clans with kekkei genkai within their village. Noki had told us that much when we were making idle talk with each other on the sea journey to the Land of Fire. I gritted my teeth to endure the pain as I tried to squeeze out more chakra from my reserves, the previous stunts I did had severely drained me of chakra. Using my Ice Release tires me faster than what I had expected.

"You know what? I'm just going to fucking kill you."

"Not if I kill you first."

Ice began to form around us from our feet and spread upwards. I grinned. I'm going to take him down with me. I wonder if I will undergo another reincarnation after I die. If I do, I wish I can land in a better world than this one. If there aren't any more reincarnations, that is fine too. I had already lived once.

The Kumo shinobi began to panic as the ice crept up to us faster and faster. Already the ice is reaching his knees and anything below that is frozen solid. I'm planning to trap the both of us in a pillar of ice. He will either die from the cold, or from suffocation when the ice finally covers us whole, and I will be sharing the same fate as him if all goes well. Being able to control ice doesn't mean that I am not affected by the cold, it's just that I can endure the cold better than most. Maybe if I had shinobi training I can train my powers to the point that I can walk through a snowstorm with nothing more but a shirt on me, but that point is moot now.

The shinobi tried to hack at the ice to free himself but it is no use. These are not ordinary ice.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Burst!"

A huge burst of electricity burst out from the man and I screamed in pain from experiencing the full blast of it. Thankfully, my ice held, but I can feel myself fading into unconsciousness from the vicious attack.

"Fuck you!"

The man held his kunai in a backhand grip and plunged it down in the direction of my neck. It's over for me now, but at least Hanabi is safe from him.

The last thing I saw was an unnatural swirl of air before my eyes closed shut.


	3. Chapter 3- Konoha

The first thing I saw when I woke up is an entirely white room.

I tried to get up, only for me to grunt in pain and fall back down onto something soft. If I am feeling pain, does that mean I somehow survived?

"-ku! Haku!"

A small blur tackled into me and I give another grunt of pain. Whatever sleepiness I had is now gone from the sudden pain I am experiencing.

"Hanabi." I groaned out in a hoarse voice, and even I am taken aback at how raspy my voice sounded. How long was I out? "Water."

Hanabi quickly fumbled to pour me a glass of water and helped me to sit upright. I hissed in pain as I tried to do so. I tried to lift my arms, but they are covered in bandages and I don't have much control over them. It's just too painful to even move them.

"Here." Hanabi said as she assisted me to drink from the glass and I drank the water greedily. I also took the chance to look around. We are undoubtedly in a hospital room and I am hooked up to all sorts of machines.

"Where… are we? How long has it been?"

Hanabi visibly brightened up as she put the glass down on the table beside my bed.

"We are in Konoha! I was screaming for help as I ran, and I bumped into a group of Konoha shinobi! They went to save you!"

At least everything worked out well in the end.

Hanabi suddenly gave me another hug and I can feel her tears staining my hospital gown wet.

"I… I almost thought you died. You were asleep for a week. There's… There's so much blood on you. I thought, I thought…"

"If I didn't die from the stab wounds or the lightning jutsu, I think I might die if you continue to squeeze me in this manner."

Hanabi quickly let go of me and I let out a sigh of relief. While I appreciate the thought and gesture, she wasn't conscious of how much strength she was using in that hug. I am hurting all over.

The door to the room suddenly slid open and someone in a doctor's coat entered. My jaw nearly dropped when she walked to the front of my bed.

Straight brown hair that stop before it reaches her shoulders, beneath the coat she wore an attire that is mostly dark purple in colour. What is most unmistakable is the rectangular purple markings on the side of her cheeks. No way, she couldn't be _her_.

"Hello there, my name is Nohara Rin and I am a medic nin of Konoha, what is your name?"

Fuck. My. Life.

The entrance of another individual brought our attention to the door. A man with eyes like Hanabi strode into the room and Hanabi immediately ran to him and gave him a hug.

"Otou-sama!"

This must be Hyuga Hiashi.

Hiashi just patted Hanabi on the head dotingly. I'm not sure if he is usually such an expressive man due to my impression of him in the manga series, or if the kidnapping of his daughter softened him enough to indulge in such acts of endearment with his child. I wouldn't be surprised if Hanabi's kidnapping changed him. No matter how cold he is as a shinobi, Hanabi is his daughter. The thought of losing her for about a month to Kumo with the knowledge of what they are planning to do to her must have drove him crazy.

As if my worldview had not been shaken enough, more people entered the room. People who are supposed to be… dead, presumed dead, or… just not supposed to be here. Assuming I identified them correctly.

"Rin! Is the kid awake?"

"Can't you see for yourself, you dobe? He's sitting upright."

"Shut up, bakashi. Nobody asked you."

"Language, Obito!" A woman with long fiery red hair, the reddest I had ever seen in both of my lives, scolded as she pulled on his ear. "There are children here!"

"Kushina, calm down. You are scaring the poor kid."

"Eh, oops." The woman, who is now confirmed to be Kushina (isn't she supposed to be _dead?),_ rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with one hand upon the words of a man with bright yellow hair and azure blue eyes. He is definitely Minato, the Yellow Flash, and the Fourth Hokage of Konoha even if I don't see his Hokage robes on him.

Another man entered into the room. He had blue eyes and dull, pink hair which is styled in five different spikes in different directions. The way it is styled looks almost like a flower. He looks kind of familiar too. However, what was shocking is what I saw he was wearing when he finally pushed past the sea of people who had crammed themselves into my small room to greet me in a loud booming voice.

This guy is the one wearing the Hokage robes. Minato is not the Hokage?!

"Hey kid, name's Haruno Kizashi, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha! How are you feeling? Are there anymore pains? Or are there-"

"Yondaime-sama, you are overwhelming the kid." Rin politely interjected.

I took deep breaths to calm my nerves.

Kami-sama above, just **_what_** kind of world did I land myself in?!

* * *

After I got over my shock and mentally accepted the fact that my understanding of this world has been shattered once again, Rin did a round of questioning and tests to see my rate of recovery. Thankfully, none of the injuries I suffered were permanent although I might retain some scars from the numerous stab wounds the Kumo shinobi had inflicted on my arm. The other shinobis in the room were curious about me as well since I am not from the Land of Fire. To them, what I did was hard to understand. A kid from the mysterious Land of Water had volunteered to help a shinobi child he barely knew about from the Land of Fire return to her homeland despite all odds. The fact that we actually reached the Land of Fire is a miracle in itself. When you put it this way, even I can't believe I did what I did.

From what I learnt, Haruno Kizashi (I'm pretty sure he is Sakura's father by now) is the current Hokage and succeeded Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was the third Hokage. I don't know how strong Kizashi is, but he has to be at least on Minato's level to even be nominated as Hokage. Team Minato are also veterans of the Third Shinobi War, although I have no idea why and how they all survived. From what I can see through the window beside my bed that shows me a nice view of the village, a sizable section of Konoha looks relatively new compared to the other parts. The difference is too obvious to not notice. When I asked about it, they told me that the village was under attack by the Kyuubi a few years ago, destroying a large part of the village in the process and that they only just managed to completely rebuild the destroyed section, so at least I now know that the Kyuubi attack still happened in this world even if I don't know why Minato and Kushina are still alive. Obito was especially talkative and it is weird seeing him without scars on his face or he being a villain. From what he told me, he was the one that stopped the kunai from killing me. He was leading a squad of chunins to search for any remaining Kumo stragglers and to take them down, but they found Hanabi who was screaming for help while running. He probably used Kamui to reach me, since I remembered the air swirled in a weird fashion just right before I passed out. I am curious as to how he awakened the mangekyou sharingan since Rin is still alive, but I know better than to ask. This is not knowledge that I should know. Kakashi looks like the aloof type of guy with an attitude problem like what his canon counterpart displayed himself as before canon Obito's 'death'. Rin is just a nice person to be around with. Kushina is excited about knowing more about the Land of Water but I don't have anything nice about it to share with her, so I just shut up. She got the hint that I don't like to share about my homeland or my past, so she didn't press any further. Minato simply leaned against a wall and observed the entire proceedings together with Hiashi while Hanabi sat beside me on the bed.

Kizashi gave a clap to get everyone's attention on him.

"Alright, now that Haku is awake and well, we need to discuss the serious stuffs."

Why is there such a sense of foreboding?

"Haku." Kizashi's eyes turned sharp as he looked at me and I don't like how he is eyeing me. "I will be blunt. Would you like to join Konoha?"

I know the facial expression of my face is probably not very nice from how Hanabi winced beside me, but I cannot help it. I don't have a favourable expression towards shinobi. It's one thing to read about these people who lived in a fictional world, it's another thing to live a life in the same fictional world where things are usually solved with violence and bloodshed.

"Give me reasons to stay."

"Your bloodline is now an open secret." Kizashi went straight to the point. "We are still in the process of finding any remnants of the Kumo shinobis hiding in our country, but I am sure there are more than just the three of them you and Hanabi encountered. Someone had probably reported about you and your abilities back to Kumo by now. You might not know this, but this is now an international diplomatic incident due to how one of our clan heiresses was kidnapped right under our very noses in our own village. Whether you like it or not, you are involved in this mess. Sure, I can allow you to leave after you recover, but I have no doubt there will be other shinobis waiting to kidnap you for their own gains the moment you leave the village's walls. News like these travels fast in the shinobi world. You of all people should know how valuable and dangerous kekkei genkais are."

Ouch. He's not holding anything back. The frustrating thing is that he is most probably right. Excluding the one I killed back in the Land of Water, I don't think the three Kumo shinobis I met is all Kumo sent here. I remembered that a delegation of Kumo shinobis came here under the guise of signing a peace treaty before they kidnap canon Hinata, or Hanabi in this case. There should be more than the few I met. My kekkei genkai should be rather rare too, although I need more facts to check about the state of my dispersed clan. I'm not sure how many are left. For all I know I may be the only surviving member of my clan.

"Another thing we need to confirm is whether you are a sleeper agent or spy, but after going through Hanabi's memories with the help of a Yamanaka and seeing how you interacted with her, you are in the clear, so you don't have anything to worry about. I have an idea of the state of things back at where you came from. I'd like to think that living here is a lot better than going back there. At least in Konoha, we protect our own. Hanabi had told us a few times that you don't like the idea of being a shinobi. However, you will need to be a shinobi if you decide to stay here. Your abilities and power are invaluable to any villages, Haku. Not many can boast about killing three jonins at your age, even if was because they were very careless."

Funny he should say that Konoha protect her own. Hanabi was kidnapped here, wasn't she? And don't get me started on Danzo and the future Uchiha massacre.

I held back my snarky thoughts and ponder about the options I have. It didn't take me long. I don't have a choice in the matter if I want to survive. I can feel Hanabi's gaze on me and her anxiety. I don't know why she is so fixated on me staying here even if I can understand a little.

"… Fine. I will stay. I don't really have a choice in this matter, do I?"

"No, you don't." Kizashi affirmed my thoughts. "You will be dead the moment you leave our village's walls. I have no doubt the Raikage is furious about having his jonins bested by a kid. He will try to get his hands on you and your bloodline given how you use it to kill his men. Even Obito had some trouble trying to get you out of your ice, and that is saying something since he is one of the best when it comes to Fire jutsu."

I gave a frustrated shout that made the people around me jumped a little from my sudden reaction. This isn't what I had planned in mind. Now I will be stuck here for the rest of my life as a shinobi, the one thing I don't want to be, and I don't have a choice.

"Anything else I should know?"

Hiashi stepped up and I turned to face him.

"From what Hanabi told me, I understand that you are an orphan. The Hyuga clan would like to offer to adopt you as a ward of the clan, you will be taken care of as one of us. This is the least we can do after you returned Hanabi safely to us. A fate worse than death would have befell her if she didn't meet you."

I felt a tug on my hospital gown from my side and I saw Hanabi giving me those eyes again.

"Hanabi, stop it."

The waterworks threatened to make themselves known and I quickly weighed Hiashi's offer. In all honesty, it isn't that bad. At least I don't have to worry about food and shelter for the foreseeable future while I'm in Konoha. I have no idea how Konoha treated their orphans, but if canon Naruto's experience is any indication, it probably isn't that good.

Hanabi is sniffing by now and I groaned. Stupid puppy eyes. I need to start building resistance to them asap.

"Stop crying." I said as I flicked her forehead with a finger like how I usually do to her during our journey together to Konoha to get her attention. "I accept your father's offer, happy now?"

Hanabi gave a shout of joy and glomped me. I am trying very hard to not whine in pain from how she is aggravating my injuries. The lightning jutsu fried more than just my hair. My skin is very sensitive to touch and pain now until they are fully healed. Rin had said that she could hasten the process with medical ninjutsu, but it will be better for my body in the long run to let it heal naturally. Medical ninjutsu cannot fix everything.

"Man, this kid is whipped. Doesn't it remind you of sensei and-"

"You say something, Obito?" Kushina threatened with a deceptively sweet smile and Obito paled quickly.

"N-Nothing, ma'am."

He's the one who is whipped.

Kushina sat down beside me and slung an arm around my shoulder, acting like we are the best of pals even if we only barely knew each other for less than an hour.

"If you cannot stand the stuffy Hyugas you are always welcomed to stay with me and Minato. Naruto will love to have you around too."

And get myself involved with the troublesome 'Child of Prophecy'? No thank you. He's the first person that I will be avoiding at all costs in this village. The next in line is Sasuke. Danzo too, if he is around in the village, assuming that some things remain the same as canon.

Obito kept gesturing to me exaggeratedly out of Kushina's sight by crossing his arms in an 'X' and silently mouthing the word 'ramen', if I read his lips right, and did a puking action. I think I understand what he is trying to tell me. Kushina probably only know how to cook ramen, Naruto had to get his undying love for ramen somewhere. I will die from diabetes from all the salt in that bowl of dish if I eat it constantly.

"No! Haku! You are staying with me!" Hanabi grabbed onto my bandaged arm and I yelped in pain from the unexpected sudden contact. Rin is immediately by my side and Hanabi look shocked at the realisation of what she had done.

"It's fine. Nothing I cannot handle." I mumbled out as I endured the pain. The green shine from Rin's hands eased the pain somewhat.

"You are allowed to cry if it is too painful. You are just a kid." Rin admonished as she let my arm down gently. "I have no idea how you endured your stab wounds. You are lucky that we managed to fix your arms, I lost count how many times you were stabbed when I was fixing it."

I mumbled my thanks to her for healing me. It wasn't just her, I lost count on how many times I was stabbed too.

I gave a mental sigh. Now that I'm destined to be a shinobi, I really hope that I can live past twenty.

* * *

"Come on, Haku! Let's go play!"

Hiashi watched in amusement as the younger of his two daughters (even if it was only by a few hours) tried to drag Haku along from where he is lying on the ground trying to take a nap under the shade of the huge tree in the garden. The older of the fraternal twins, Hinata, looked torn between wanting to stop Hanabi from physically pulling Haku and her want to play with him as well. Neji just looked on impassively from the side of the garden. Hizashi sat by his side as they watched the children's interaction from where they are resting in their own corner.

Hiashi is glad that the entire affair with Kumo ended in their favour. Kumo had the audacity to ask for a set of their clan's byakugan even after what they did, but the fact that the entire Kumo delegation died outside their village's walls and that Hanabi was returned safely back to him gave Kumo little room to push for their demands. Konoha had erased any evidences that the deaths of the Kumo delegation were linked to them. If Kumo wants to play the part of the unreasonable thug, Konoha can do the same as well. The Hokage was also firm in his stand to protect the Hyuga clan and the safety of Konoha, and Hiashi is grateful to the Hokage for not giving in to Kumo's demands.

Despite losing a large part of their shinobi's forces during the unexpected Kyuubi attack, Konoha still have strong shinobis in her ranks that allow them to stand at the top of the other shinobi villages. Minato alone is a threat to Ay, the current and Fourth Raikage. Kushina's mastery in Fuinjutsu is more than enough to handle Killer B and Yugito in a one-on-one fight. There are also other notable shinobis in Konoha like Uchiha Fugaku, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade of the Sannin who are also famed for their strength in battle. Konoha won't lose in a war with Kumo, and Kumo knew it, so they did nothing but make empty threats over the entire affair.

Haku is a very reserved boy that is too mature for his age. All he does is read during his spare time and devouring every knowledge about chakra and shinobi history. He has a huge interest in those subjects and he has an entire bookshelf crammed with such books in his room. Haku is only a year older than Hinata and Hanabi and the same age as Neji, but he will be attending the academy together with the twins instead. Haku could have enrolled together with Neji a year ago when he was first brought back to Konoha, but Haku simply had too much to catch up on if he were to enrol into the academy together with Neji at that point in time. Even if Haku is fluent in his speech, he only knows how to read and write a few words when he first arrived in Konoha and his physical abilities are subpar at best. So Hiashi decided to delay Haku's enrolment in the academy for a year so that Haku can first learn the basics that is required of him before entering the academy.

Haku is bright, and that showed in his lessons and physical training. He caught up to the lessons taught by the tutors quickly and his taijutsu is actually good enough to even match Hanabi and Hinata when he finally decides to put in the required effort. Neji is still a little too advanced for Haku to catch up to but Neji is a prodigy, so Hiashi wasn't surprised at the gap between the two of them. Still, he has faith that Haku will catch up to Neji soon enough. Haku is also a prodigy in his own right, and Hiashi have no doubt that Haku will grow into a powerful shinobi.

Haku wanted to try learning the Gentle Fist, their clan's taijutsu style that involves the use of their dojutsu. Hiashi and Hizashi had tried to explain to him why that is impossible but Haku had argued that if the Gentle Fist revolves around shutting the opponent's tenketsu points by injecting your own chakra into them, then it should be possible for anyone to learn it by memorising the location of the tenketsu points since the location of these points is the same for every human being. Hiashi have to admit that he hadn't thought about this even if he had been a practitioner of the Gentle Fist for decades, but there are still reasons why only the Hyuga are the only ones capable of using it to great effect.

The byakugan not only allows the user to see tenketsu points, something that even the sharingan cannot pick out, but it also allows the user to see the chakra flow within them. While the concept of the Gentle Fist, at the very basic level, is to shut off the opponent's chakra flow like what Haku said, the user needs to know how much chakra is needed exactly to achieve that effect, and that is usually not possible unless you can see the chakra flowing through the tenketsu points with the byakugan. If you inject too little chakra, there won't be any effect. Inject too much, and you might permanently cripple your ally in a friendly spar even if you wouldn't care if the same happens to your enemies. To achieve the optimal effect, the user of the Gentle Fist needs to know the exact amount of chakra to stop the chakra flow in the opponent's tenketsu. Overloading your opponent's tenketsu points with a huge dose of chakra, even if they are an enemy, is also a huge waste of chakra and hence not practical in a real fight without the byakugan, especially if you are facing a huge number of enemies at once. The way the taijutsu katas of the Gentle Fist is structured also takes into account the near 360-degree visual range of the byakugan, making it a style that is only uniquely suited for members of their clan.

Haku wasn't deterred, and he actually went on to compare the Gentle Fist with other taijutsu styles that the Hyuga clan are known to use. Not every member of the Hyuga clan are capable of using their dojutsu even if they are all born with it. There are members of the clan who are civilians as well. There are also a scant few who became shinobis even if they never managed to utilise their birth right for reasons unknown, so there are other taijutsu styles catered to members who cannot use the byakugan that anyone else are able to use, Hyuga or not.

What Hiashi wasn't expecting is for Haku to create his own Gentle Fist style.

If Hiashi wants to get technical and nit-pick at Haku's creation, his taijutsu style is a heavily bastardised version of the Gentle Fist, to the extent that the elders of the clan would have a fit if they ever saw it and even Hiashi is hard-pressed to call it the Gentle Fist. But Hiashi cannot deny that it is effective. Haku basically memorised the major tenketsu points in the human body, such as the one near the heart, the kidney, the ones that most shinobis use to channel chakra through their limbs, things like that. However, instead of injecting chakra into the opponent's tenketsu points through his fingers, he uses senbon to stab the tenketsu points instead. The effects of such an action does not aim to completely stop the chakra flow in his opponents, but it is good enough to completely disrupt the chakra flow in the immediate area and cause a lot of pain if Haku decides to pump it with his chakra. Even if Haku ran out of senbons to use, he can always create many more with his kekkei genkai. Any experienced shinobi can tell that Haku is not suited for a taijutsu style that focuses on power, even if he will be able to crush rocks with his hands and feet the moment he grew his chakra reserves enough to constantly supply them with chakra during a fight when he gets older. Haku's body is too lithe and slender for a destructive taijutsu style utilised by shinobis like Might Guy or Akimichi Choza. His body is more inclined towards a hit-and-run style suited for assassins, like the style used by Hatake Kakashi or Namikaze Minato, to take out an opponent by aiming their weak spots and take them out as fast as possible with a critical hit. The Gentle Fist would have worked too, since their clan were specialised in espionage and assassination even before they joined Konoha thanks to their dojutsu, but Haku wasn't born with the byakugan. Haku's taijutsu style is mainly for self-defence than anything else since it is obvious that he will never amount to much based on taijutsu alone. His body is not built for power and for taking hits. Haku's talent lies in his use of his kekkai genkai and Water jutsus, and he will most likely grow into a ninjutsu specialist like Uchiha Obito. Already there are talks among the Hyuga clan that Haku will grow into a shinobi comparable to the Nidame Hokage, Senju Tobirama, in his use of Water techniques despite his young age.

"Hakuuuuuu!"

"Leave me alone, Hanabi." Haku groaned. "I just finished my taijutsu lesson and I want to take a break."

"You are not even winded! Nee-san, Neji nii-san! Help me out here!"

"Just go along with it, Haku. Hanabi-sama won't stop otherwise."

"Neji, you are supposed to be on my side here." Haku complained.

Neji just shrugged in response.

"I'm giving you the count of three." Hanabi's eyes suddenly have a mischievous look as she activated her byakugan. "Before I use you as target practice. Otou-sama said that I need more practice with my Gentle Fist."

Haku scowled as he got up from the ground.

"Fine. What will we be doing anyway?"

"Um… Hanabi wanted to play hide-and-seek…" Hinata replied meekly. Hiashi's eyebrows furrowed a little. Hinata is a kind child, but that meekness needs to go if she wants to be an exemplary shinobi. Shinobi cannot afford to be kind to their enemies and her meek demeanour may be exploited.

"I'm hiding." Haku stated immediately as he walked off to find a hiding spot. "You guys decide who you want to be the seeker. See you later."

"Haku! Get back here! You are the seeker!"

Haku simply disappeared around the corner and Hanabi gave chase with Hinata following behind. Neji just gave a sigh as he respectfully excused himself from the garden where Hiashi and Hizashi are also lounging about, and the twin brothers watched as their children and adopted ward went off to play.

"Not the most sociable person, is he?" Hizashi states as he poured himself another cup of tea from where they are sitting next to the wooden table that is positioned between them.

"He was from the Land of Water, that place is a mess. The bloodline purges never truly stopped." Hiashi replied as he accepted Hizashi's offer to refill his cup for him. "Haku never talked about his parents or his past, but I think we can all guess what happened to them. I'm not surprised at his behaviour if he was a victim of the bloodline purges. It pains me to see him so jaded and distrustful of people at such a young age, I don't think he have truly opened up to anyone except for Hanabi. No kid should act like that at his age."

"True." Hizashi conceded. "What about your thoughts about him and Hanabi? She's very close to him. A little too close."

"It will be fine." Hiashi reassured Hizashi. "Haku is a very jaded child, but he is also kind despite how much he acts as if he doesn't care about anyone or anything. He was kind enough to escort Hanabi back here even when he was barely able to fend for himself. At least I know that he will take care of Hanabi, and Haku will definitely grow into a deadly shinobi in the future. Hokage-sama was right in persuading him to join Konoha, Haku is growing to be a very valuable asset to the village. I'm planning to let Haku be Hanabi's guardian like how your son is to Hinata. I might need to go see the Hokage to see if it can be arranged so that the two of them can be on the same team when they finally made it to genin."

"You sound as if you want to marry your daughter off to him." Hizashi joked as he took another sip from his cup.

"I won't mind." Hiashi answered and he watched in hidden satisfaction as his younger twin brother nearly choked on his tea, breaking him out of the stoic Hyuga façade that they all mastered since young. "Hanabi adores him and Haku cares for her, and Haku will be able to protect Hanabi with how strong his kekkei genkai will grow to be. He is only a ward of our clan now, but his permanent addition to the clan through marriage will only boost our strength. If we want to do it, we might as well start when they are all still young. Right now, I am just observing Haku's behaviour and potential, but I am liking what I see thus far. He cares for Hanabi even if he cannot stand her chattering. I don't mind having him as a son-in-law."

Hizashi had recovered by now as he stared at his older brother.

"Really? Planning on marrying off your daughter already? She's only five! We are not in the warring states era!"

"You can't deny how close they are." Hiashi replied calmly. "And if Hanabi is happy with him, who am I to deny her happiness as her father? Like you, all I wish for my children is for them to be happy. I won't push for their union if things don't work out, so don't worry about that. Enough about my children, we need to talk about Neji."

"Oh? What did he do to earn your ire?" Hizashi looked unbothered at the change of topic as he continued to drink.

"Nothing." Hiashi said as he refilled the empty teapot with boiling hot water. "I am planning for Neji to take over the position of clan leader after me. I promised you that I will find a way to abolish the branch house system within the clan when we were young, it's time for us to make a move. Neji is a born leader, he is suited to lead the clan, he is a genius that we are blessed with. A prodigy that comes once in a lifetime. He can unite both the main and branch house. I know he can do it."

"Hiashi. You don't need to do this for us. Yes, I have hated you before, but we have put our differences behind us. You have Hinata and Hanabi, and they are also both equally suited to lead the clan."

"Neji is simply a better candidate. If the elders are too blind to see it, then that's their problem. I will deal with them, most of them are old enough to croak at any moment anyway. However, we need to find a better substitute than the current Caged Bird Seal to protect our kekkei genkai, we need a seal that isn't as barbaric in its function. Kushina and Minato are helping, but even they are not making much progress in this matter given how delicate and specific the seal needs to be. What we can do now is to start planning how we are going to make Neji's succession a smooth one."

"Hiashi, I…"

"We are brothers, Hizashi. Like how you would have willingly died for me, I will do anything in my power for you as well if it is possible. Dad wanted to drive a wedge between us, but I'm glad that he didn't succeed. At least he is not around anymore to give us more problems."

Hizashi remained silent.

"There's no rush, Hizashi. Take your time to think about it. We still have time."

"Thank you, Hiashi."

* * *

**AN: I can't remember if it was a Naruto movie or a Shippuden arc, but I definitely remember that there was an AU verse that depicts Sakura's dad as the Fourth Hokage at one point. And I thought, hey, since I've decided to make big changes in the Naruto verse for this story, might as well go big or go home, right? **

**I still don't know what to put Kizashi's abilities and powers as, but it should be fun trying to think of ways to do it. Either that, or it will be hell trying to find ways to make him Hokage level since canon didn't expand on Kizashi's character and skills. So I have to get creative and think of something that works.**

**Hope you enjoy reading WOTI thus far.**


	4. Chapter 4- Academy

Academy Arc

"Haku, wake up! It's time to go to the academy! Hurry, hurry!"

I groaned as I turned to look at the clock hanging on the wall in my room.

"Hanabi, we still have an hour before we leave the compound."

I pulled my blanket over my head and turned in the other direction to catch up on my disrupted sleep, ignoring Hanabi.

"I want to be there early! Ino had said that she will be showing us some really nice flowers before class today!"

In the end, Hanabi managed to pester me enough with her incessant bugging. I announced my surrender by making my way to the restroom to wash up and get ready for the day. Half an hour later, Hanabi, Hinata, Neji, and I were on our way to the academy after having a quick breakfast. Ko, who is Hinata's and Hanabi's caretaker, followed us as we made our way there. Hanabi's kidnapping had made Hiashi decide to appoint a caretaker to follow Hinata and Hanabi around whenever they are out of the compound until they reached genin. Ko was chosen for that role.

"I will see you after school, Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, Haku-sama, Neji-kun."

We returned Ko's greeting politely and we entered the gates of the academy and find our way into our classroom. Neji had to climb another flight of stairs as he is in a year above us and his classroom is situated in the upper level.

Hanabi, Hinata, and I were in the same class together with many of the main cast of canon. We slide the door to our classroom open and already there are a group of girls crowding around Ino, who is showing off the flowers her family had grown that she brought along to class.

I made my way to my seat at the back while Hanabi and Hinata went to look at the flowers. We had only just started the academy for about a week and already Hanabi and Hinata are making friends with most of the girls here. Hanabi mostly, Hinata is still really shy without Hanabi around her. For me, I am pretty quiet during class and prefer to do my own things at the back. I only pay attention when the teacher goes through class materials that I haven't learnt yet from the tutors Hiashi sent to teach me and the twins before we entered the academy. Hanabi spent most of her free time bugging me or Hinata before we entered the academy, and sometimes Neji, if Hinata and I decide to throw him to the wolves by sending Hanabi in his direction. Hinata is fine with spending time with her twin sister (I still cannot believe how different things are from canon sometimes) since their mother died during childbirth and they are all each other had before I arrived. Hiashi don't have much time for them. He is a busy man even if he is trying very hard to put aside time to spend with his daughters. Neji is a nice guy, probably largely attributable to the fact that his father is still alive, but he is from the branch house and hence he cannot freely enter the section of the compound where the main house stays. I am an exception as Hiashi himself adopted me into the clan. Hence, in a way, I am his adopted son of sorts, and I am given the same treatment as Hanabi and Hinata as though I am from the main house. The Hyugas are mostly fine with me since I did save their heiress. The rest of the main house are mainly indifferent to my presence while the branch house is friendly with me due to me being nice and polite with them. Apparently among the main house kids among our generation, only Hanabi and Hinata treats the branch house with any form of respect until I joined the clan and the group increased to three people. The other main house kids are pretty snobbish, and I am thankful that I don't have to deal with them frequently.

The three of us had chosen our seats at the back in the centre of the classroom. It is a long bench that can fit about six to seven people, depending on who are sharing the bench. In our case, it is six people, since we ended up sharing seats with Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino. Choji takes up quite a bit of space due to his size.

Choji is already here and munching on a bag of chips. I give a polite greeting as I sat down next to him and took out a book on chakra theory to read. There are still things that I don't understand about chakra. You cannot approach the concept behind chakra like you would do for subjects like physics and mathematics since unlike these subjects, there is no 'law' on how chakra works, merely observations and theories on why it reacted in certain ways. Chakra is unpredictable, and even if two people use the same jutsu, the results can be very different depending on how they use the chakra to do it even if they look the same physically. There's no one that is able to teach me how to use my Ice Release, and hence I can only help myself. The first thing to go about doing it is to understand how chakra works in the first place and hopefully, the knowledge I gain from these books is enough for me to try and grasp how to use my Ice Release properly instead of manifesting it in random ice spikes. There is an obvious improvement in my usage of the Ice Release ever since I started on these books, but it is still not enough at the moment.

"Hey, let me take a look at it too 'ttebayo!"

Have I ever mentioned that in this world, Naruto is a _girl_?

"Quiet down, Naruto. There's no need to yell. We can all hear you." Sakura said as she passed Naruto a flower.

And that Sakura actually belonged to a clan? The Haruno is apparently an offshoot of the Senju clan. The Senju clan had dwindled ever since the Second Shinobi World War as they were always the first in Konoha to go out into the front lines to defend the village and hence they died off fast. The Senju clan had no specialisation, but rather, their clansmen all have unique skills of their own in the different branches of shinobi arts, making them very problematic to deal with as opponents. Currently, the known Senjus in Konoha are Tsunade and her son (I still have no idea who he is), and Tsunade is the head of the hospital here and married to Kato Dan (another character that somehow remained alive instead of being dead). Sometime before the Senju clan declined, a branch of the clan, the Harunos, became large enough to become a small clan on their own although they never left the Senjus. However, the only remaining members of the Haruno clan now are the current Hokage, his wife, and their only child Sakura.

The other mind-boggling thing I learnt is that when Hiruzen retired as Hokage, he also somehow managed to get Danzo, Koharu, and Homura to retire with him. Kizashi then appointed Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Fugaku, and Kato Dan as his advisors, totally changing the political scene of Konoha. I don't think the Uchiha massacre will happen now that Fugaku is part of the few who had a large say in Konoha's politics, but I will never know for sure until a few years later. The fact that Danzo is now not involved in Konoha's politics means that it _should_ be safer here in Konoha. I think. I don't know enough about the Danzo here to make any assumptions.

The one sure thing I know about him, however, is that he has a grandson who is in the same class as me. He went by the name of Shimura Sai. The Sai who was a part of Team 7 during Shippuden.

I'm surprised I didn't go crazy when I learnt about all of these during my first day in the academy. I think my worldview had been shattered to the point that nothing will faze me anymore. Every single time I learnt something new that deviates from canon, I will just force myself to simply accept the new facts and move on. I would go crazy otherwise.

This is definitely a different world of Naruto that I had read about in my previous life. The differences are too big. Konoha is really strong at this stage. Excluding the Hokage, with Minato, Fugaku, Tsunade, Hiruzen, Dan still here in Konoha, Konoha has a pretty strong line up of S rank shinobis, more than any other villages. I don't know where Jiraiya is, but I assume he is off gallivanting somewhere given his canon personality. If we also consider those who will become S rank in the future like Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui (I haven't seen him, but I am assuming he's alive in this world and that he is on par with Itachi), Obito (since he is on our side now), Kakashi (probably S rank in the future since he did become the Sixth Hokage in canon), Naruto, and Sasuke, Konoha has a really promising future.

Choji offered me some chips which I took with gratitude. Shikamaru entered the classroom right at this exact moment, dragged himself to sit beside Choji and immediately lay his head on the table to continue sleeping. Shino entered the classroom a few moments later and sat beside Shikamaru at the end of the bench as he held out a finger to observe a bug resting there that caught his interest.

Hanabi sat down beside me about 15 minutes later, with Hinata on her other side at the other end of the bench. Our homeroom teacher that will be taking us for our first year in the academy, Chiba-sensei, entered the class and we all get ourselves ready for another day of lesson.

I decided to pay attention to my book on chakra theory instead the moment the lesson of the day involves mathematics. I don't see how mathematics makes one a good shinobi unless you are involved with war plans, and even then, it is not a very useful skill to have due to how little we need to use it. Shikamaru is still sleeping although Choji and Shino are paying rapt attention. The same goes for Hinata and Hanabi.

It's going to be another long day.

* * *

"Yahoo! Self-study time!"

Akamaru gave a yip at Kiba's words. It is the afternoon now and the girls are having Kunoichi lessons, which means it is self-study period for the guys of the class. It's the first Kunoichi lesson since the start of the academy and many of the boys are ecstatic in having a break from all the boring lessons.

"Self-study does not equate to playtime, mutt-kun."

"Gah!" Kiba pointed a frustrated finger at Sai. "Stop it with your nicknames already! They are stupid! You don't go around making friends by giving them stupid nicknames like that!"

I ignored the duo as I continued with reading my book. Kiba and Sai are desk mates, so I can only imagine what Kiba had to go through the entire morning with Sai trying to give nicknames to everyone in the class if Kiba's complaint is anything to go by.

"Haku, why are you not at the Kunoichi lesson?"

Choji's innocent question got the attention of everyone else in the class and I sighed. Despite how I try to make myself look like a boy, people still think that I am a girl, especially if they met me for the first time. My androgynous appearance is too delicate for me to look like a proper male at first glance. I haven't gotten around to inform my classmates of my gender either. There wasn't a proper time to correct their misunderstanding, I might as well start now.

"I am a boy, Choji."

There was a muted silence in the classroom before the boys erupted.

"No way! You are even prettier than most of the girls!"

Gee, thanks for the compliment, Kiba.

Even Shikamaru had deigned this issue to be worthy enough for him to raise his head from the table where he was resting. Sasuke and Shino, who are the more aloof members of the class, are also watching me with looks of disbelief.

"Really." I drawled.

"I think I have thought of a suitable nickname for you." Sai said with a creepy fake smile on his face. "Your nickname can be girly-kun."

I'm going to castrate him when the instructors finally start on the sparring sessions, and then we will see who is the girl here. Sorry Ino, but your future husband is going to be a eunuch.

In the academy, there will be a few hours everyday where the instructors put us through physical conditioning and learning the katas of the basic academy taijutsu style. I still think that the taijutsu style I came up with is better than the one taught in the academy, but learning another taijutsu style won't do me any harm.

"You know what? You actually came up with a suitable nickname this time." Kiba said as he pat Sai on the back in an approving manner. "I can't think of a better nickname myself."

I am going to add Kiba into that list alongside Sai.

"I'm sorry for mistaking you as a girl, Haku." Choji apologised timidly as he offered me some chips. "Uh… chips?"

"Thanks, Choji." I said as I helped myself to more of those chips. I can see why Choji is addicted to it, the chips he eats taste really nice.

"You can't really blame us for mistaking you for a girl." Shikamaru interjected. I think he is trying to help his friend by explaining the reasons for the misunderstanding. "You are always with Hanabi and Hinata, and even you have to admit you can easily pass off as a girl if we put you in a kimono."

_Yeah, yeah. Tell me something that I don't already know. _

"Why are you always with them anyway?" Sasuke asked from where he is sitting. "You are not a Hyuga, and Hyugas tend to keep to themselves."

_I don't think you have a right to say that considering the clan which you belong to, Sasuke. The Uchihas are a more exclusive group than most of the clans in Konoha._

Despite my thoughts, I have to answer Sasuke's question since he asked politely.

"I am adopted into the Hyuga clan, Sasuke. I may not be a Hyuga in blood, but I am treated as one."

My answer earned some raised eyebrows from the clan kids. I only found out much later after my adoption, but adopting someone into a clan is big business, it is not something that is done lightly given how clans tend to push away outsiders. Usually the practice of adopting someone outside the clan is done only when the clan finds out that one of the clan members had an illegitimate kid somewhere outside the clan and the clan will then adopt the kid into the clan to protect their bloodline from being 'leaked out'. I am obviously not a Hyuga, hence the looks that the clan kids are now giving me.

"Can we ask why? Or is that a personal question?" Shikamaru asked as he finally sat upright.

"Let's just say that I helped the Hyuga clan once and that they felt indebted to me." I answered after some thought. It's not the full truth, but it should be enough to satisfy the clan kids for now. I don't think they are paying much attention about the political scene in Konoha or the latest happenings since they are only still kids. They won't be interested in it, no kids will at this age. Shikamaru would probably piece the information himself if he bothered to ask his father about my situation. It's not like the reason behind my adoption into the Hyuga clan is a huge secret among the shinobis of Konoha.

"What's so great about him? He's just a lucky bastard that managed to get himself adopted into a clan." One of the boys, probably civilian-born or someone who is not part of a clan, taunted. "How did you manage to get yourself in anyway? Beg like a dog?"

I ignored the kid as I continued reading my book on chakra theory and making notes with my pencil. I don't even know who this guy is. I didn't bother knowing the names of most of my classmates unless they are part of the main cast or if they stood out. According to Neji, many of the students would have dropped out of the academy by their second or third year. The shinobi profession is not for everyone, many civilian-born didn't make the cut. It's kind of unfair how clan kids have a huge advantage over those who are not part of a clan, but it's the reality here and the harsh truth of life in Konoha. If they cannot accept it, suck it up and move on. I know for a fact that Namikaze Minato is not a part of any clan until he married Kushina in this world, and he managed to earn an S rank title for himself by his own merit. Instead of wasting time insulting me, this kid can use this free time to improve himself instead.

Sadly, the other non-clan kids joined in, and I heard them referring to the instigator by the name 'Tai'. I think they are all orphans by how they act around each other and they obviously know each other before joining the academy. I just kept quiet and remained unbothered as I continued to read my book.

"Hey, cut it out." Kiba defended me on my behalf. "What did Haku do to you anyway?"

"It's not nice to insult someone you barely know." Shikamaru added. "It's just not polite."

"You clan kids don't know how lucky you are to be born into a clan, dog-breath." Tai growled. "We orphans have nothing but each other, we need to do so much more just to be even accepted into the academy unlike you guys, who got accepted simply because you are from a clan." I saw Tai pointing a finger at me from the corner of my eye as I continued to read my book. "Why, I bet that the sissy over there had a whore for a Mum and-"

* * *

Shikamaru gave a sigh as Tai ranted on and on about the unfairness between clan kids and non-clan kids. Yes, he knows that he is lucky to be born into a clan, but there are also responsibilities to be a part of a clan, responsibilities that he wishes that he doesn't need to bear. It's times like these that he secretly wishes that his family isn't part of a clan, although he loves his family and clan all the same. It's just that the responsibilities are so troublesome.

Like Tai and his rant. How troublesome. Will Tai stop if he just let it continue, or will it end faster if he cuts in?

How very troublesome. He should just continue to pretend to be asleep.

"Why, I bet that the sissy over there had a whore for a Mum and-"

That's taking it a bit too far. No matter what, insulting someone's parents should only be reserved to your enemies. That's what Dad had told him during their discussion on taunting tactics.

_SNAP_

Shikamaru turned around at the sound and saw the broken pencil in Haku's hand. He was using it to make notes on the book that he was reading on chakra theory just a second ago and now it is broken into two pieces. Haku's head is tilted downwards and his bangs are covering his eyes, but it doesn't take a genius to know that Haku is furious at Tai's insult.

The fact that Haku can easily break a pencil with a single hand is pretty scary too. At the very least, Shikamaru himself isn't able to do it yet.

"Oh? Did I hit the nail on the head? So your Mum was _really_ a whore. Did she whore herself to the Hyu-"

Faster than what anyone can see, Haku was suddenly in front of Tai and punched him in the gut, causing Tai to bend forward from the impact. Haku grabbed Tai's wrist and twist his arm in an obviously uncomfortable angle before the sound of snapping bones was heard and Tai screamed in pain. Haku got behind Tai, kicked Tai on the back of his knees to force him to kneel on the floor and Haku stood behind him, restraining Tai by holding Tai's arm broken arm with one hand and his feet pressed onto Tai's back. His previous uncaring expression is now one of rage.

_Fast. Haku is way too fast. He's too fast to be an academy student._

"**_DON'T_**." Haku said in a low tone and Shikamaru swore that the temperature in the classroom dropped a few degrees even if he doesn't know how. "You _dare_ insult my mother. You have no right to."

The other orphans had jumped up on their feet by now and eyed Haku warily. Some of them even had their weapons out. The other clan kids are also wary, but they are undecided on who to help.

Haku slowly turned his head to face the other orphans who is slowly surrounding him from all sides. Shikamaru don't like the expression on Haku's face. It scares him. It's like Haku views them as nothing but insects to be squished at his pleasure. To be snuffed out at his whim.

It's like they are all mere inconveniences.

"Oh? You guys all want a piece of me? Look at yourselves, you don't even know how to hold a kunai properly."

"Let Tai go." One of them growled out as he held his kunai in front of him defensively.

"Make me."

With that, the orphans charged in to stab Haku. Shikamaru can see Shino's insects buzzing out of his sleeves in an attempt to defuse the situation, Sasuke had jumped onto the table with ninja wires in his hands, Kiba and Akamaru looked as if they are about to charge in at any moment, Sai had a paintbrush and a scroll at the ready. Choji looks absolutely terrified, but Shikamaru knows that he will help when push comes to shove. He knows that his best friend will not stand by and watch someone get bullied. There are other clan kids as well in the classroom, and they all looked ready to assist Haku even if they don't know how to help him without accidentally attacking him in all that mess.

As it turns out, Haku doesn't even need help.

In just a few short seconds, Haku had the entire group of aggressors whimpering in pain on the floor with senbons sticking out of their bodies. Shikamaru didn't even manage to catch a glimpse of how he had done it. Haku was a blur as he moved about the mass of people and took them out. From their looks, the other bystanders probably didn't manage to catch what had exactly happened too.

Haku placed a foot on Tai's broken arm and Tai gave another scream from the pain as Haku continued to increase the pressure of his foot.

"You wanted to know how I got myself adopted into the Hyuga clan?" Haku spoke in a cold voice as he twirled a senbon in his hand lazily. "I wasn't originally from Konoha, you see. I killed three jonins from Kumo to get myself in here. It was easy. Do you know that it is a bad idea to bisect your enemy? It's too messy. Their blood and guts sprayed _everywhere_ and it gets into your hair and clothes. I find piercing and stabbing their heart to be a lot easier, it is a lot neater that way. Konoha was unwilling to let me go after that, I proved myself to be too valuable an asset for them to let me go. They gave me a '_choice_' to choose whether to stay or go, but I know that the choice offered to me was just an illusion. Konoha will keep me here one way or another even if I wanted to leave, my opinions be damned. The Hyuga clan offered to take me in since I happened to do them a favour by killing the Kumo jonins, but I know it is also because Konoha needs someone to keep an eye on me as well. I am a dangerous person, Tai, that's your name, right? I can easily kill people without feeling any remorse, killing people is easy to me, I have been told that I have a natural talent for it by Hiashi-sama himself."

Haku slowly leaned down to face Tai, their face inches away from each other, and Tai is now sweating profusely in fear.

"Killing you will be easy too."

The hand which Haku use to hold his senbon was raised high up in the air, and at that moment Shikamaru knew that he has to do something before things gets bloody.

_Shadow Possession Jutsu!_

"Shikamaru, your Shadow Possession won't hold for any longer than just a few short seconds."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth as he tried to hold Haku in place. Haku is right, he is somehow able to resist his technique even if he managed to prevent Haku from moving. For now.

With a burst of chakra, Haku broke free from the Shadow Possession and Shikamaru fell backwards onto the floor from the backlash. Kiba, Sai and Sasuke all moved to restrain Haku as Shino's bugs flew out in swarms to assist. Even Choji had enlarged his hand as well and is ready to fight.

Sasuke's punch connected, but the joy was short-lived as 'Haku' dissolved into a pile of water.

A water clone? But that's a high-level technique!

"Don't bother, you guys will never reach me with that speed."

Everyone turned around to the back of the class as Haku stood there with an uncaring look on his face, as if he wasn't trying to kill a classmate moments before. How did he even get there undetected?! He was at the front of the class a second ago!

"Haku!"

Hanabi barged into the classroom from outside and ran towards Haku, and Shikamaru saw Haku's expression going back to normal in a split second. It's like Haku turned off a switch from murderer mode to normal mode.

It's unnerving how Haku can switch personalities at a whim.

"Hanabi, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be in Kunoichi class."

"I felt your chakra flare up!" Hanabi said as she fussed over Haku and checked him over, possibly trying to find injuries. Upon finding none, she looked up at Haku. "What happened?!"

"That's what I like to know too."

Chiba-sensei entered the classroom and he took in the sights of the boys with senbons sticking out of their body and moaning on the floor in pain.

"Nothing happened, sensei." Haku answered smoothly as he returned to his seat to continue reading his book as if he did not just try to murder someone. "Just taking out the trash and educating them on the importance of knowing their place. They needed a lesson on how to control their mouths."

Chiba-sensei's lips curled.

"Detention, Yuki. I will listen to what you have to say later."

Haku gave a hum of acknowledgement and returned to reading his book, but Hanabi snatched the book away from him, causing Haku to look at her with a hint of annoyance on his face. Chiba-sensei had ushered the injured students out of the room and towards the sickbay, leaving the rest of them alone with Haku. Shikamaru thinks that it is a bad decision on Chiba-sensei's part to leave a bunch of kids together with someone who won't hesitate to kill them off at the drop of a hat, but at least Haku looks subdued and normal as long as Hanabi is around with him.

"What. Happened." Hanabi said as she put the book somewhere inaccessible to Haku behind her and glared at Haku. "Otou-sama will not be pleased at this."

"They insulted my mother, so I told them how I killed those Kumo jonins. Remember the three that we met on the way to Konoha? I was deciding on whether I should give a live demonstration too."

"Oh." Hanabi visibly winced. "That wasn't nice of them. You were planning to bisect them like what you did back then to that Kumo jonin?"

"On second thoughts, that's too messy, and I will have to clean out their blood from my hair and clothes. So, no. I should do something else. Maybe impaling them like what I did to that Kumo kunoichi? Will that be less of a hassle?"

Shikamaru stared with wide eyes at the conversation between Hanabi and Haku. The hell? Haku really killed Kumo jonins? And by the name of the sage, Hanabi, stop encouraging Haku!

"This revelation… is most disturbing." Shino whispered to himself, but it was heard by the group of clan kids who jumped in to attempt to restrain Haku as they continue to watch the interaction between Haku and Hanabi. "Why? It doesn't even seem like he was bothered at the thought of killing our classmates, even if we are supposed to be comrades in the future despite our individual differences."

"I didn't even see him move or create a clone." Sasuke added. "The only person I know who is close to our age and able to do something like that so flawlessly is nii-san."

"I'm more curious as to why he was facing three Kumo jonins." Sai butt in. "And girly-kun did say he wasn't originally from Konoha. Where did he come from then?"

Sai has a point. Shikamaru will have to ask his father later to see if he knows anything more about their enigmatic and dangerous classmate.

How troublesome.

* * *

**AN: I decided to search through my computer to see if I have anymore chapters of WOTI that I had wrote about lying around somewhere, and I found a few that lasts somewhere into the chunin exams arc. They aren't exactly chapters, just written ideas and plotline that I had wrote a long time ago and forgot about them, but they are detailed enough for me to edit quickly without needing to try very hard to recall what I was planning to do before I forgot about it. I really don't know how I forgot about this story altogether, but I am going to blame it on my hectic lifestyle. Still, the 'chapters' I found are mostly detailed enough to be posted with some quick editing and it comes out ok, so I will be going with that. **

**I had read a looooong time ago about a fan theory about the Harunos being an offshoot to the Senju clan. I don't know who came up with this theory so I can't credit him/her for it, but I remember that the theory is based upon the idea that it is impossible for the Hokage to put a civilian with the last Uchiha and their only jinchuriki and assemble them as a team, and that the Kanji for Haruno means something about 'trees and forest', an allusion to the Senju clan who are also known as the 'Senju of the forest', and that the Haruno symbol is very similar to the one shown on Hashirama's sage mode (the circle on his face or something). I thought that this theory is_ sound_ _enough_, although it stretches the limit a little too far, but hey, it's kind of cool to see a 'senju' sakura or something. Gives me room to make her more than just a medic nin with tons of physical strength should I want to.**

**Going by the basis that Harunos are a part of the Senjus, I managed to come up with some abilities for Kizashi that I think makes him Hokage level. I think the abilities are plausible and pretty cool, but that's just my opinion. And no, no Wood Release. That thing is overrated and overused. I will be going with something else.**

**Since I still have a few 'lost and found' chapters, I will get to posting them the moment I am free to edit them. Like I said, most of them are detailed enough for me to post them as proper chapters with minor edits (mainly grammatical errors and phrasing them properly into proper sentences), so it _shouldn't_ take too long for me to post them. No promises, I am still swarmed with schoolwork and it is a miracle that I managed to get this chapter done in the first place.**

**This story will mainly be focused on Haku and Hanabi. The Naruto verse has too many characters and it is impossible for me to go through each and every one of them without making it unnecessary long. I will only be focusing on characters that will and might be important figures or a huge influence on the two main characters for this story, so I apologise in advance if your favourite Naruto character don't get much screen time here.**

**Have fun reading this chapter, I certainly had fun rereading what I wrote a long time ago, even if it was filled with grammatical and other rookie mistakes until I fixed them.**


	5. Chapter 5- Friends

Like Hanabi said, Hiashi wasn't pleased at my behaviour, but he understood why I was angry even if he didn't approve of how I handled it. It still didn't stop him from making me kneel and then give me a long lecture on why I shouldn't hurt my classmates to the point that the whole class now thinks that I might murder them whenever I felt like it. I personally thought that it was intimidation tactics at the finest, at least no one bothered me about my adoption status now, including Tai and his lackeys. I was angry with what Tai had said, but it's not like I will really murder him in front of my classmates. Doing so will just put me on Konoha's shit list without any benefits to myself. I just want to hurt and scare him enough while not killing him so that he will not insult me or my mother ever again.

The rest of the class, including the clan kids, gave me a wide berth and now no one wants to willingly talk to me after I displayed what I was capable of. I think they are more unnerved at how cold I treated Tai than the act of me beating Tai up into a pulp. Choji, Shikamaru, and Shino still sit on the same bench as me, Hanabi, and Hinata, but they no longer talk to me willingly or as frequently as before. They fear me. I had to switch seats with Hinata to stop making Choji squirm whenever I sit beside him in class and now I sit at the end of the bench.

It may be for the best. These people are from the main cast and I don't want to interfere with their lives more than necessary, even if canon had already deviated into something unrecognisable. I don't want my addition into their lives to make their lives worse than what it is supposed to be.

"Alright everyone! Gather up!"

The entire class gathered in front of Chiba-sensei and his assistant, Shiba-sensei, who is helping with the survival training today in one of the training grounds. The term 'survival training' is pretty vague. It can include anything from throwing you out into the wilderness for days, hunting for objectives or getting hunted by the instructors themselves, or simply navigating to the designated end point while traversing the huge training ground covered with the huge trees that are unique to Konoha. Rumours has it that many of them were grown by Senju Hashirama himself using his Wood Release.

Chiba-sensei began to explain the objectives of today's survival training. This time, each of us are given a token. The objective of today's survival training is to grab another two tokens from someone else and navigate to the designated end point within two hours with a minimum of three tokens on our person. Our class have about thirty people, so only a maximum of ten people will pass today's training.

After Chiba-sensei dropped us off individually at different points in the training ground, all we had to do is to wait for the signal for the start of the training to be given.

The moment the test started, I just made my way to the designated end point leisurely at a walking pace. Everyone, no matter they had a token or not, will be making their way there. I might as well save the time hunting for tokens by waiting near the end point for the tokens to show up by themselves. The end point is not far from where I currently am. I will still have a lot of time to spare even if I walk there at a civilian's pace.

I waited under the shade of a tree to see if anyone is unlucky enough to pass by. I kept myself hidden from view and I waited. Surprisingly, my first victim made his appearance less than thirty minutes after the start of the training.

"Look who we have here." Tai said condescendingly with his group of lackeys the moment I made myself known. They must have banded up together to increase their chance for success. "Our first victim. Hand over your token now."

I shrugged in a nonchalant manner. I don't think they have learnt their lesson yet, or they might just be too stupid to realise that they have no chance of taking me on even if they ganged up against me. These people are the type who gained confidence in numbers. Once you take out their numerical advantage, all that is left of them is a whimpering mess.

"Take it from me then. It's just right here."

I dangled the token in front of them before putting it back in my haori. My usual attire is pretty much similar to what canon Haku wore. I can understand why canon me liked this outfit, it's actually pretty comfortable. I also prefer wearing something with long sleeves as there are scars that littered my arms from my encounter with the Kumo shinobis. The stab wounds have never fully healed and it left scars behind, not even medical ninjutsu can remove the scars. Rin had suspected that the kunai might have been coated with a special substance that prevented the scars from healing properly. I don't want Hanabi to feel guilty over the scars or to remind her of the unpleasant kidnapping experience, so I make it a point to wear clothes with long sleeves to hide them. It also helps that clothes with long, baggy sleeves are useful for hiding weapons or making discreet hand seals without being seen.

"We were caught off-guard the last time, but you will not be so lucky this time. There are no teachers to help you here. We will crush you."

"Then what are you waiting for?" I replied. "Come get me."

One of Tai's lackeys threw a bunch of shurikens in my direction as the others went charging in after that opening salvo. I simply threw my senbons to deflect the shurikens and went to engage them in taijutsu. Taijutsu will never be my strong suit as one good hit is all it takes to get me winded, but that is all the more reason for me to practice. Tai and his lackeys happen to be very good practice.

And I also get to punish them one more time for insulting my mother, this time through legal channels, although I will never admit to it if asked.

The fight was over even before ten seconds was up, even if I took the time to be doubly sure not to break anything this time, much to my disappointment. I didn't even need to use my senbon in my taijutsu style. Hiashi was very helpful in helping me to develop my own taijutsu style, his training methods must have been really good for me if this is all I need to take them down. According to him, the training he put me through had a heavy emphasis on speed since my body is built for it, like how Minato and Kakashi is, and his training had made me into a speed monster among my peers. The main cast would probably catch up to my progress as time passed. The only reason I am ahead of them now is because I am not a true child, I take my trainings seriously even if I don't like the idea of being a shinobi. I know that each and every single one of my trainings are important if I want to survive in this chaotic world. Being strong is a necessity now that I am forced to be a shinobi. Unlike the main cast who are still children, I don't have time for games, and I certainly don't have any plot armour to protect me from harm. If anything, plot armour would probably kill me given how canon me died. I need every bit of training I can get in my free time to improve my chance of survival, I don't want to die because I am too weak to defend myself. The results showed. Taking down Tai and his minions didn't even make me break a sweat.

Or maybe these goons are just that weak.

I pocketed all seven tokens from them. Including my own, I now have eight tokens when I only needed three. I have five extra tokens to give out if I wish to. I wonder if Hanabi and Hinata needs them?

"Haku! There you are!"

Hanabi ran up to me with Hinata beside her and her byakugan activated. That must be how she found me.

"Haku-kun, you defeated them all by yourself?"

I gave a nod of affirmation at Hinata's words and passed them my remaining five tokens for them to split among themselves. Hanabi already had an extra one, which she said she got by defeating another of our classmate by the name of 'Ami'. That name rings a bell, but I don't remember who that person is. With that, the three of us had the minimum required number of tokens to pass this training. We even had two extras.

The three of us reached the end point even before the first hour is up, much to the shock of Chiba and Shiba-sensei. I think they might be brothers due to some physical similarities they shared and also the similarity of their names, but I never bothered to ask.

Oh well, at least now I have an hour to do whatever I want while we waited for the training to end.

* * *

"Haku, you need more friends."

"I have you, Hinata, and Neji."

"Hakuuuuuuu."

Hanabi continued to whine as I ate lunch from our lunchboxes with her and her sister under the shade of a tree outside of our classroom. I appreciate her gesture and I can understand her concerns, but I really am not motivated to mingle with anyone else. Why should I? I don't want to be here nor do I want to be a shinobi in the first place.

"Hanabi-sama is right." Neji walked over to sit down with us and opened his lunchbox. "You need more friends other than us. Personally, I feel that what you did to teach those bullies a lesson is well-justified, but it had caused everyone else in the academy to fear you. There are even some from my class who are afraid of you. It will not be good for your future as a shinobi if no one is willing to trust you. You did threaten to kill off a classmate, even if we know it's just an empty threat. However, no one outside of our group knows this. They really think that you will not hesitate to kill them if they anger you."

"I don't really care about making friends." I admitted and Hanabi facepalmed in frustration.

If even my own father is willing to turn against me when he had loved me as his son, I don't see why I should trust other people and be friends with them. Granted, I know that his actions are a possibility due to my knowledge of canon, but I had trusted him during the short five years of my life that I spent with him. I know that he had truly loved me, but in the end, the love he had for me and Mum lost to his fear of our kekkei genkai.

Even my own father feared me. He sees me as nothing more than a monster the moment he knew that I might have inherited Mum's kekkei genkai.

If even my own father in this world is willing to turn against me, who else can I truly trust? Probably Hanabi, since we survived the life-and-death journey from the Land of Water to Konoha and I know that she will never betray me despite how annoying she can get sometimes. But other than that?

No one. Hinata and Neji are probably okay, same goes for Hiashi and Hizashi even if I don't see them often enough outside of our training sessions, but I don't know them as well as I knew Hanabi. I don't know if I can trust them yet.

It's sad that after spending years in this world, the only person who I can truly trust is a little girl.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures." Hanabi muttered as she suddenly stood up and dragged me by the arm to somewhere else, ignoring my protests as I tried to prevent the contents of my lunch from spilling out of my lunchbox at the sudden pull. Hinata and Neji followed us at the back.

"Hey guys, mind if we join you for lunch?" Hanabi called out to a group and I take a look to see who she had dragged me to.

The group she dragged me to consist of Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Sai, Choji, Shikamaru, and even the reclusive Shino. Whatever they were talking about fell into immediate silence the moment they spotted me.

Way to kill the mood.

"Uh… sure." Shikamaru replied, but he never took his wary eyes off me.

"Hanabi-chan! Hinata-chan! Finally! I'm not the only girl here!" Naruto exclaimed loudly and pointed a finger at Sasuke. "This teme here kept bullying me, I need help! Time to show our girl power!"

Hinata giggled at Naruto's display and after introducing Neji to them, the group carried on with their conversation once more. I kept to myself as I continue to eat my lunch, I don't want to spoil the mood. Other than Naruto, who is a little dense, the rest of them are obviously still afraid, or at the very least, wary of me.

I thought that this arrangement is a one-off thing after the day ended, but Hanabi proceeded to drag me into that same group during lunchtime together with Hinata and Neji every single day we had lessons in the academy. The entire arrangement lasted for a month until the next big thing happened.

"A study group?"

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded as she proceeded to elaborate on what she had been talking about. "Kaa-chan is kind of worried about my grades, and she suggested that I can form a study group with my friends, meaning you guys, and we can study together at my house! Maybe we can meet up once a week or something? My living room is big enough to fit all of us, and Kaa-chan and Tou-chan won't mind us being there to study, 'ttebayo!"

"Hmph. Dobe. Only you need a study group to even pass your subjects."

"Shut it, Teme. You can always not come."

"I don't mind." Kiba said as he rested his hands on the back of his head. "My Mum has been bugging me about my grades as well. Maybe she will get off my back once she knows about the study group."

"Cool! The rest?"

To be perfectly honest, I see nothing that I can gain from being part of the study group. I am absolutely fine with studying by myself.

"We will all be there! We will need to ask Otou-sama for permission, but I don't think he will mind."

Damn it, Hanabi. At least ask for _my_ permission before agreeing on my behalf.

I wanted to refuse, but Hanabi sent me a glare and I decided to just go along with what she said. She will make my life difficult otherwise.

There goes whatever free time I have for myself.

* * *

"No, you dobe. You need to multiply first before subtracting. This is the third time I'm going through this with you, just get it in your head already!"

"Huh? But I still don't understand!"

"Just memorise it!"

In the end, everyone in the group turned up for the study session. Even Hiashi didn't make a fuss about it, saying that it is a nice arrangement for Hanabi and Hinata to improve clan relations with the clan heirs of our generation and Neji and I should tag along too. I should have seen that coming.

"I still don't get this question." Kiba said out loud to no one in particular as he scratched his head from where he sat beside me. "How do you find x again?"

I took a glance at the question. It's a question on algebra. It's pretty simple for me, but I can see why it is hard for kids who haven't even reached ten years of age.

"Just shift all the non-x stuffs to one side of the equation and all the stuffs with x to the other side. Then solve for x." I said as I pointed to the different parts of the equation with my pencil to illustrate my point. I had long since finished my work and now I am just waiting until our time here is up. We still have about two hours left until we need to head back to the Hyuga compound for dinner. Hiashi had managed to clear his schedule and he made it very clear that he wanted to spend some quality time with us after dinner today. I know that he is trying to make me feel like a part of his family and that he truly sees me as his son, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I have or will reciprocate his actions. Even after living in Konoha for more than a year, I still find adjusting to life here a little difficult, and I don't really have a connection to anyone else other than Hanabi, and by extension, Hinata and Neji as well due to how close the three of them are. I can't just accept Hiashi as my new father figure, not after everything I had been through. I had two fathers, one from my previous life and the one I killed in this life. I didn't even talk about my second father to anyone else even if I talked a little about my mother to them. I made it very clear that the topic about my father is **_not_** for discussion.

I'm not sure if I want another father. I don't think I need one, even if I am grateful to Hiashi for taking care of me thus far. I may not want to stay in Konoha, but I am not heartless nor am I blind. I can feel the sincerity behind his actions and words. Neji and Hinata also just wants to spend more time with me, nothing more, nothing less. They actually treated me like their own brother and it is starting to make me waver. If I am given the chance to leave Konoha without the fear of any type of repercussions, will I continue to stay here?

I still don't know how I should treat my current circumstances. I don't know if I want to treat them as my new family. They are a shinobi family, a group of people that I had wanted to avoid until I got myself stuck here. I don't regret bringing Hanabi back here, but now I am forced to live a life of a shinobi until my last breath.

Kiba looked a little shocked by my sudden speech, but he recovered quickly.

"I see, thanks man."

"You are welcomed."

I can see Hanabi giving me a thumbs up discreetly and I rolled my eyes. I know she wants me to be in this study group to get me to socialise more, and I can't bring myself to get angry at her for it. She's doing this for my own good and I know it, even if I don't like the entire process.

I took a good look at the living room of Naruto's house. It is well-furnished and it has a homely feel to it. Nothing looks out of the ordinary here. You can't even tell that this is the home of two well-known shinobis at first glance.

Something hanging on the wall of the living room caught my eye, and I squinted my eyes to get a better look at it. What is drawn and hung on the wall is a scroll with a seal painted on it. I don't know what it does since I have no knowledge of seals, I need to look up on it during my free time. Even if I never branch into seals, having a rudimentary understanding of it is necessary if I want to continue to live as a shinobi. It doesn't matter how strong you are in this world, sometimes ignorance or carelessness is enough to bring even the strongest shinobi down. Asuma died in canon because he had no idea of Hidan's abilities until it was too late, the same goes for Jiraiya when he was facing Nagato and his Six Paths. Onoki carelessly left half of Mu's clone unsealed and it brought a resurrected Madara onto the battlefield. Kabuto could have still summoned Madara nonetheless, but at least he wouldn't appear on the battlefield _straightaway_. The presence of Mu's clone allowed Kabuto to bring the undead Madara directly onto the battlefield. Onoki was careless, he knew full well what his predecessor is capable of, but he didn't bother to check his surroundings.

"That's a seal that regulates the temperature of the surrounding area. Interesting, isn't it?"

I turned back to look at Minato, who was sitting on the sofa behind me and reading the newspapers, although he is puting it away now to talk to me. He was keeping an eye on us the entire time even if I don't know how he did it behind a newspaper.

"How does it even work? Seals are basically just ink and paper, right? How can something like that do things from regulating temperature to sealing objects in a scroll?"

Minato visibly brightened up, like he had found a treasure after years of searching for it. I think he has been dying to introduce more people to the wonders of sealing. I know for certain that Naruto isn't interested in the sealing arts since she always complained about how boring they are whenever seals are mentioned around her, so Minato might have been a little disappointed by it.

And so, upon my question, Minato proceeded to give me a long explanation on seals and how they worked.

Minato's explanations were interesting enough for me to totally ignore the study group as I tried to digest what he told me about the basics of sealing. According to him, everything and every step in creating a single seal is important. From the type of ink used, what is used to draw the seal, how you hold the brush, the strokes, the design of the seal, the intent of the seal, the amount of chakra infused into the seal, and many other variables that I will not have thought about. There's a lot of preparation needed to go into a single seal, and it is why there are so few seal masters in the Elemental Nations. Very often, the effort put into learning the art does not justify the rewards. Many people simply stopped at learning how to make storage scrolls or explosive tags when learning how to make seals, and even then, not many people even reached that level of expertise in the first place. Excluding the Summoning Jutsu, people who can create a seal with a single touch, like Minato himself, are even rarer.

"-and that is why usually people use a four point or eight point seal to-"

"Argh! Tou-chan! Stop! STOP! **STOP** infecting Haku with seals! I have enough of you and Kaa-chan discussing seals at home all the time! I don't need Haku to start doing it in school!"

"But it's interesting." I said as I blinked my eyes in an innocent manner at Naruto. "Can you imagine winning a battle simply by slapping sealing tags on your enemies? That is actually pretty cool."

"I know you will see my point!" Minato said happily as he rubbed his palms together. "Finally! Someone who can appreciate the beauty of seals!"

Minato is actually a nerd, isn't he?

Kushina had joined us in the middle of Minato's explanation on seals and she nodded approvingly at her husband's words from where she stood behind the sofa he is sitting on. There were rumours that while Minato was initially introduced to the sealing arts by his sensei, Jiraiya, it was Kushina that brought him into the higher levels of sealing. Her clan was known for their expertise in this particular shinobi art, and Kushina had personal training from Uzumaki Mito before the Uzumaki elder passed away. Uzumaki Mito was the one who designed the barrier surrounding the whole of Konoha and her design is still being used today. That's how advanced her skills in sealing was.

"No." Naruto whispered comically as she gripped her head with her hands in a shocked manner. "Another one had fallen to the dark side. Come back, Haku! It's not too late!"

Did Naruto just make a Star Wars reference?

"You don't know the power of the dark side, and I do not fear the dark side as you do." I said dryly. "Sorry Naruto, but this is where we part ways."

"Nooooooooooooo! Haku!"

Naruto is really trusting of people. Even when she knew what I did to Tai, she didn't treat me any different since she thinks that my actions were justified and that no harm was done as nothing irreversible had happened. She is willing to give others a second chance. Maybe this trait of her was why her canon counterpart became Hokage, even if the gender is different now.

Come to think of it, what will happen to Hinata now that Naruto is a girl? At the very least, Boruto will never come into existence now.

"If you are interested in learning the sealing arts, we can arrange a lesson for you whenever you come over for the study session." Kushina said as she placed a hand on my head to ruffle my hair in what she thinks is an expression of fondness. "It does not seem like you need the help from the study group anyway, so it might be better for you to use the time to learn something new instead."

I totally agree.

"No, Haku! Quick! Reject Tou-chan's and Kaa-chan's offer! It's a trap! You will never get out of it the moment you enter it!"

"Shut up, dobe. At least Haku is smart enough to learn sealing, unlike you who still have trouble with the multiplication table."

"What did you say, teme?"

"How troublesome. Someone shut them up."

"I agree. Why? The din that they are racking up is making it impossible for us to concentrate on our homework."

I tuned the conversation out and turned to face Minato and Kushina.

"I'd like that very much, Minato-san, Kushina-san."

* * *

Hiashi is not against the idea of me learning sealing from Minato and Kushina. In fact, he encourages it. I think he might have his own agenda in doing so, but so far, I don't see a downside for me in learning the sealing arts from the two seal masters of Konoha.

My lessons on sealing were mainly conducted by Kushina, since Minato is a busy man as he is an advisor to the Hokage. Minato took over the role of the teacher sometimes, but both Kushina and him are equally knowledgeable about seals. Our study group will come together to Naruto's house to study once every week, and I will have my sealing lessons in a corner of the living room with either Kushina or Minato while the rest of my classmates will have their own study session in the middle of the living room.

It was during one of my lessons with Minato that I learnt another shocking deviation of this world compared to the one from canon. I was asking Minato who are the other seal masters in Konoha, or if there are any other seal masters in the Elemental Nations. I was surprised that Jiraiya's name wasn't mentioned, so I asked Minato about it.

_"What about your sensei, Jiraiya of the Sannin? I was of the impression that he is good with seals."_

Minato's expression turned into a forlorn one.

_"He was a seal master as well. However, sensei had died together with Naori-san in the previous war trying to buy time for our forces to retreat when our forces were ambushed by Iwa. They succeeded in stopping Iwa from invading our country, but the two of them never made it back."_

Another deviation. This time someone who was supposed to live had died. Just how many changes are there in this world from canon?

As usual, I accepted this fact and moved on from it, although I cannot help but think about the impact of Jiraiya's death on the plot, even if the plot was screwed even before I came into this world. Jiraiya was a big influence on Naruto, and there is no telling how this will affect Naruto's development as a shinobi now that he is not around in this world. Konoha will probably not know about the Akatsuki until it is too late since Jiraiya was the one who first found out about Akatsuki's existence in his chase after Orochimaru, who is also a traitor to Konoha in this world. Right now, Tsunade is the only remaining Sannin in Konoha.

"Haku, you need to stop cooping yourself up in your room. All you do are training, reading, and sealing. Do something else!"

I sighed as I put down my brush. Kushina had wanted me to improve on my calligraphy before we move onto something more complex. I cannot get anymore practice done with Hanabi hovering beside me in my room. I swear she spends more time in my room than in hers.

"Well, what else do you want me to do?"

"Anything other than training, reading, and sealing! Anything! Get a hobby, get a life! Nee-san presses flowers, I like exercising, Neji nii-san meditates, but at least we take a break from training! Everything you do in your free time always goes back to training, even the books you read are always somehow related to chakra theory!"

Come to think of it, Hanabi is right. Everything I do in my free time is to improve myself as a shinobi. I can't help it. I may not want to be a shinobi, but if I have to be one, I might as well strive to be the best out there. It also helps that chakra is a very interesting subject to study about. I get hooked on books that document or discuss theories about chakra without even realising it. The people of this world do not know how lucky they are to be born in a world where such a beautiful thing like chakra is real. And what do they do with it? Murder the fuck out of each other instead of trying to make the world a better place to live in with chakra. Chakra can perform miracles. You can split the waters, move the earth, burn things by spitting fire, and many more. If shinobis use chakra for peaceful means, I have no doubt that this world will be home to a magnificent civilisation, a civilisation like no other I had ever seen.

Chakra is a truly wondrous thing.

It wasn't long before Hanabi forced me to think about something to do as a hobby that is not training, reading, or sealing. I agreed to Hanabi's request mainly because she won't stop harping about it until I conceded. That's how she won most of her arguments with me. She just. won't. stop. harping until she gets her way. If all else fails, there is the puppy eyes jutsu, and I always fall for it.

Just what should I do for a hobby?

"You don't need to think so hard, you know? Just find something you enjoy doing."

"Training, reading, and sealing."

"NO!" Hanabi exclaimed loudly as she crossed her arms in an 'X'. "Haku, I just told you these three are out of bounds!"

"Um… Hanabi, if Haku-kun really enjoy doing them-"

"Nee-san, Haku needs to get a life!"

"I agree."

"I don't want to hear that from _you_, Neji."

"Well, then find something to do as a hobby. Even I have a hobby."

"All you do is to sit there and be a stone. That counts as a hobby?"

"It's called _meditation_. It helps people to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state."

"It's still sounds like stoning to me."

"Maybe Haku-kun can try gardening?" Hinata suggested and it cut off my argument with Neji.

"Bad idea. The last time I asked him to help me take care of a small cactus, a _cactus_, nee-san, and it died in less than three days. They don't even need much taking care of and Haku screwed it up."

"Meditation then. You can't screw that up."

"No way in hell, Neji. I am not going to sit there and be a stone."

"Then exercise with me!"

"You know I hate exercising unless it's for training, Hanabi."

"Urgh! You are so difficult to deal with!"

What did I even do in my past life as a hobby? I loved playing the piano, but there's no piano in this world so that is out of the question. I also enjoyed gaming, but there is no computer for me to use, at least not for another twenty to thirty years and even then, I'm not sure if there will be games available for me to play. I enjoyed inline skating, but the roads in the village are too rough to skate properly and I am too lazy to make a pair of skates myself since no one had invented them yet. I will need to create a skating rink to deal with the lack of proper roads to skate on, and that is another problematic issue by itself as a skating rink needs to be huge for skaters to even have any proper fun. When was the last time I skated anyway? Oh right, when Mum was still alive and the river near our village was constantly frozen thanks to the cold climate. I had to find proper metal blades from somewhere to attach at the bottom of my shoes and-

Wait a minute. I don't need wheels to skate. I just need ice.

"Haku? Your smile is creeping me out."

"I think I finally have an idea." I said while grinning. "But first, we need to find a suitable place."

* * *

"Why did you bring us to the Naka River?" Neji asked as we looked around. Ko had tagged along as well for our protection and his duty as our caregiver. This is the lower end of the river where the waters have collected into a mini lake. The waters here are very calm. We had also met Naruto and Sasuke on our journey here and they followed as well, curious as to what I was planning.

This spot will do.

I placed my hand on the water surface and with a quick release of chakra, the entire surface of the river that I was planning to use to create a skating rink came into existence as they froze into a smooth layer of ice.

"WOW! So cool! How did you do that? 'ttebayo!" Naruto shouted excitedly as she bounced on her feet. Sasuke was also taken by surprise.

"Is that a kekkei genkai?"

"A kek… what?"

"A kekkei genkai, dobe. A bloodline."

"Yes, it is." I answered Sasuke's question as I took off my sandals and changed into my boots. I had asked the Hyuga siblings to bring along their boots as well. Sandals will not do for this, they are not suitable.

"We followed you here to see what your new hobby is, Haku. Not to watch you practicing your kekkei genkai. No training, remember?"

I gave a smirk in Hanabi's direction when I finally finished putting on my boots.

"Just watch."

With another application of my Ice Release, I created thin blades of ice that I froze to the bottom of my boots and they stuck themselves there. I took a step on the frozen surface of the river to test the modified boots and to see if the river surface was frozen solid enough to withstand my weight. I took a step, and another, and another, and before long I was laughing as I skated about the frozen surface, revelling in the joy of being able to skate once again.

This is genius. I combined training and fun into a hobby. I never knew how much I missed the sensation of skating until now. It reminds me of how I used to pass the time when both my parents are out working, it reminds me of more carefree times. Such times are gone now.

Also, I miss Mum.

I eventually stopped and I saw the rest looking at me with wide eyes and dropping jaws at what I have just shown them. Have they never skated before? Konoha does experience the winter season. Surely they must have skated on a frozen surface before.

"What is it that you are doing?"

"Ice skating. You guys never done it before?"

"Never! I didn't even know something like this is possible 'ttebayo! Teach me!"

I quickly helped the Hyuga siblings and Ko fit the ice blades on the bottom of their boots and soon they were having fun skating around the man-made skating rink, although they were having troubles initially. However, Ko is a full-fledged shinobi and the Hyuga siblings are shinobi-in-training, so they picked up on it quickly the moment I told them the trick on how to skate properly. Sasuke and Naruto don't have the right footwear, so they ran back home to get their boots.

Somehow, the whole of the rookie twelve came together with Naruto and Sasuke when they got back, minus Lee and Tenten since we haven't met them yet, and adding Sai to the mix since he is our classmate in this world. Sasuke even brought _Itachi_ along, and Minato came with his wife soon after, obviously curious at what we were doing. Naruto must have informed her parents of this while Itachi probably tagged along to see what his brother is up to. Isn't Minato an advisor to the Hokage? Don't he have work to do?

Before long, even the Yellow Flash is skating in the ice rink together with us, and I had to increase the size of the ice rink to accommodate so many people. Luckily, I have enough chakra to do so, or we would be swimming in the Naka River by now.

"That was fun! We should do it again some other time!" Kushina said in satisfaction as the entire group rested by the bank of the Naka River at the end of the skating session. Due to Konoha's hot climate, I have to constantly channel my chakra through my feet onto the frozen river surface to make sure the ice doesn't thin out or we will all be taking a swim, and I find this to be good training on how to create ice that can sustain longer under warm temperatures. I have to tell everyone to get out of the ice rink after an hour there as I was running out of chakra to sustain our fun, and some of the ice blades I created for them were starting to melt too even if they hadn't break yet.

I actually found a way to combine fun and training, I'm a genius.

"How did you even think of something like this?" Shikamaru asked. Even the lazy ass was having fun zipping about on the ice rink and actually moving for once. "No one in Konoha thought of skating on ice even when our rivers were frozen during the winter."

"Back from where I came from, it snows all year round." I can feel everyone's attention on me as I am saying this. I don't know why I suddenly felt that it was okay to reveal a little about my past, but maybe it's because the adrenaline from the fun hadn't completely died down yet. "The rivers are almost always frozen, and I always go there to play when my parents were working. I used to skate on the river surface all the time."

"You weren't from Konoha, right? Are you from the Land of Frost? I know it snows frequently over there." Ino asked as she wiped away her sweat with a towel she brought along with her.

I remained silent for a short while as I contemplated on whether I should answer her question. I don't see a real need to actively avoid it, they will find out sooner or later the moment we became genin. I cannot hide my origin from them forever. It's just not possible.

"The Land of Water. I was from the Land of Water."

There were mixed reactions from the group, although most of them were surprised gasps. Kiri doesn't have the best of reputation, even among shinobis. Come to think of it, why did the bloodline purges still happen? Obito is still here in Konoha and so he shouldn't be Tobi, if this character still exists. Maybe Yagura was the one who instigated the purges even before Tobi controlled him? That would be the most logical explanation.

"But isn't Kiri…"

"Really messed up?"

"Sai! That's not how you ask a question!"

"Sai is right." I said as I watched the frozen surface of the Naka River slowly melt under the heat of the blazing sun. "Kiri is one messed up place. You guys are lucky to be born here. You have no idea what it means to have a kekkei genkai in that place."

"Huh? Why?" Naruto tilted her head and she had a genuine confused expression on her face. "Kekkei genkai are rare and valuable, right? At least that is what the teme told me. Why would having- ouch! Teme! What was that for?!"

"Shut it, dobe. You need to listen more in class about the lessons on other villages before you open your mouth."

Huh, I didn't know Sasuke can be so considerate toward others.

"The bloodline purges." I answered Naruto's unasked question. "Go read up about it, Naruto, and you will understand why."

That's the extent of what I am willing to share with them. I am not going into detail of how I came here and what I experienced in the Land of Water before meeting Hanabi. Even she is not privy to my past prior to meeting her and she is the one who I trusted the most in this village. The Hyugas know enough, they knew that I lost my parents to the bloodline purges, but that's all I told them. The rest of the group here should be able to come to the most probable conclusion from what I just told them anyway.

"Alright kids." Minato clapped his hands once to direct everyone's attention on him after sensing the change in atmosphere. "How about some shaved ice to cool off? My treat."

Thank you, Minato. You are a godsend.

Everyone soon put what I told them behind and we made our way to the nearest dessert stall to get some shaved ice.

The skating session with everyone today is surprisingly fun. Hanabi may be right, having some friends here might not be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

Kushina and Minato watched as the group of kids walked off back to their homes after spending some time at the dessert stall. Minato wasn't sure what he was expecting when Naruto practically dragged them out of their house on the one day he finally had a day off from all the work that comes with being an advisor to the Hokage, but he was glad that he came along with his wife and daughter. Ice skating is fun, and he wonders why no one thought of doing such a thing before in Konoha.

Minato and his wife waved at Naruto as she left with Sasuke and Itachi. Naruto wants to go over to Sasuke's house to play and they both have no problems with it. Mikoto is Naruto's godmother and she loves Naruto as if she is her own daughter. Itachi had also promised to bring Naruto back home before 10 pm and to see to it that Naruto eats her vegetables when she has her dinner over at their place later, so there's nothing to be worried about.

Minato turned to look at his wife and saw that Kushina looked a little troubled. Minato followed her worried gaze to see what is troubling his wife.

"Is there something about Haku that is troubling you?"

The couple watched as Haku disappeared with the Hyuga siblings and their caretaker as they took a turn to walk back towards the Hyuga compound. Kushina gave a sigh as she took a seat on a nearby bench, and Minato sat beside her and placed a hand on hers. The couple watched the sun setting down in the orange evening sky as Kushina began to explain her worries to him.

"I… I see myself in that boy, Minato. I can understand what he is going through, and I know that it isn't easy trying to adjust to living in Konoha when you lost your home and forced to stay here without your consent, but I don't know how to help him 'ttebane."

Ah, so that is what is troubling her. Like Haku, Kushina was brought into Konoha at a young age from outside the village. Their circumstances are similar enough to draw parallels. Both of them had lost their homes, both of them are outsiders, and both of them faced the same problem of trying to adjust to life here, a life that they never asked for.

"The only difference between the two of us is that I wanted to feel included into the village. I still remember boldly declaring to be the first female Hokage when I first came to class in order to try to get people to accept me. Haku is different. It's like…"

Kushina struggled to find words to complete her sentence and Minato can understand why, it's a little hard to describe the anti-social boy. Even after having a few lessons on sealing with Haku, that boy hasn't even opened up to them. Not even a little. He is a bundle of problems tied up in numerous twists and knots, and trying to disentangle one of them might very well produce more knots than you can solve.

Haku is a flight risk. Everyone who was in the hospital room when Haku first woke up in Konoha knew that the moment they saw his reaction when Kizashi brought up the topic of shinobi, and Haku had made it very clear in his reaction that he doesn't like shinobis. But Haku is just too valuable to Konoha. The Yuki clan had dispersed and disappeared shortly after the third war due to the bloodline purges and their clan isn't very big to begin with, Haku may very well be the last of his clan. His Ice Release is unlike the poor imitators that some of the shinobis from the Land of Frost can use. The ice techniques that Frost Shinobis use are not a result of a kekkei genkai, the Uchiha clan verified that when some of their clan members who had met such shinobis managed to copy their ice jutsus perfectly. The Yuki clan's Ice Release is a lot stronger, Haku himself is proof of it. He managed to freeze an entire section of a river for an hour simply for them to have fun skating on the frozen surface without looking visibly drained. He is only six this year. Minato won't be surprised if Haku is able to freeze at least half of the village when he reaches his prime.

In the Elemental Nations, the Yuki clan are the true wielders of the power over ice. There is no one who is better than them in using the Ice Release. There are Ice Release users outside the clan, but these people are far and few in between and mostly found in the Land of Frost. Their ice powers can't even compare to those of the Yuki clan; the fight between the Land of Frost and some members of the Yuki clan during the first world war had shown that. During the second war, the Yuki clan had single-handedly defended Kiri from an attack from Kumo, the clan alone were enough to repel an entire army of Kumo shinobis when they are fighting on their own turf. Their numbers had dwindled significantly after three world wars and it forced the entire clan to go into hiding during the bloodline purges, but that does not make their reputation any less fearsome. They may not be as bloodthirsty as the other bloodline clans that made their home in Kiri, but their powers are way stronger than most of the other clans there. The people over there called their clan an accursed clan for bringing the winter with them. There are a few areas in Kiri that snows almost all year round and these are usually areas where a fight with an extremely powerful Yuki clan member used to take place many years ago, be it in one of the previous wars or even the warring states period. Minato suspects that Haku's hometown may be one such place. Haku had revealed enough for them to know that he inherited his Ice Release from his mother, it may be why his mother chose to settle down there in the first place. A place which holds some reminder of her lost clan may have brought her some comfort.

The reputation of the Yuki clan and Haku's potential was why Kizashi was so adamant on letting Haku stay here in Konoha. Kizashi never gave Haku a choice when he 'asked' him, and Haku knew straightaway that he wasn't given a choice. He knew that nothing short of death will get him out of Konoha at that point in time. He's a sharp kid.

If Konoha let Haku leave, there is a very high chance he might be snatched up by some other village and turned against Konoha as an enemy. No one likes to fight against a shinobi from the Yuki clan and no one wants to make an enemy out of them if possible. Instead of empowering your own enemy, why not claim that power for yourself? If Konoha managed to get Haku to stay, the Yuki clan might be revived in Konoha, and it will further bolster their military strength as time passed. The entire arrangement leaves a bad taste in Minato's mouth, but they are shinobi. There are times when they have to do unsavoury things like these even if it is to a child that is only a year older than his own daughter. Minato knows Kizashi feels a little guilty about this issue as well, and the least they can do for Haku is to make his life in Konoha as enjoyable as possible. Minato also knows that Kushina would have filed for Haku's adoption to their clan (even if it is only a clan of three and Minato himself isn't an Uzumaki by blood) as she sympathises with Haku's plight, and Kushina will no doubt give him all the love she has to make Haku feel welcomed here. It's just how she is. Hiashi beat her to the punch, however, and he have a better reason for adopting him as compared to Kushina. The Hyugas don't like to leave their debt unpaid. The fact that Haku shows some attachment to Hanabi in their short interaction with him in the hospital room also suggested that it might be a better idea for Haku to be adopted by the Hyuga clan instead, and hopefully, he will slowly integrate himself to the village and not remain as a flight risk.

Very often, shinobis who left their village do not experience a kind death.

"I don't know how to say this, Minato." Kushina sighed once again and leaned her head against his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. "I know he has trust issues, but the way he does things makes me think that he has some self-destructive tendencies. It shows in his seal work and how he approaches the subject of sealing. He wants to do things on his own. He doesn't want help unless he really needs it. He tries to cut off contact with others. I'm not even sure if he is aware of it, but he unconsciously holds himself back from trying to make friends. It's like he is trying to not befriend anyone here so that he will not have any attachments to Konoha should he finally have the chance to leave, so that he can leave with a peace of mind, so that it will be easier for him to just pack up and go without a word to anyone else. This cannot be healthy, Minato, and I am worried for him. When I see Haku, I see what I could have been. Our circumstances are so similar, and when I see him, I can't help but wonder if I would have turned out like Haku if I did not have Mito obaa-san, you, and Mikoto. I am lucky in this regard, Mito obaa-san was an Uzumaki like me and it helps to have a relative taking care of you. Haku has _no one_. I know that look in his eyes, I had it once. He is lonely, but unlike me, he accepts it. He _wants_ to be alone. Just what did he go through to make him turn out the way he did? He's still a _child_. The way he looks at others is scaring me too. Even the fox doesn't scare me, but the way Haku views others does. It's like he doesn't register the presence of anyone else, it's like he treats anyone else as mere afterthought and that we are just… there. It's like how we look at the insects and birds around us, we don't pay much thought to them. They are just there. To Haku, we are the insects and the birds. Only that Hanabi girl managed to really befriend him, and that is probably because of how they met."

Minato gave a quick kiss to Kushina's forehead to show his support.

"That's why you offered him the chance to learn sealing. You want to try and make him feel included in Konoha and having him meet up with you regularly for lessons is so that you can have regular interactions with him, to help him in adjusting to life here. I thought that you just wanted someone to pass your knowledge onto when you made the offer since Naruto isn't interested in sealing, but even I can tell that Haku is not the prime candidate to learn sealing, so it threw me for a loop. It takes a special kind of mind to truly master sealing. Haku is bright, so are Sasuke and Shikamaru, but none of them have the correct mind that will take them to the level of seal masters if they learn sealing."

Kushina nodded in agreement. "You always do catch on fast. You need a special affinity to learn and then master sealing, it's almost like a kekkei genkai given how rare such people exists. My clan is the only known clan where we are so predominantly suited in sealing. We just have the affinity and like you said, the 'correct mindset' for it. Being smart doesn't automatically guarantee that you will be a seal master in the future. The Sandaime, for example. He is good, but nowhere near the level of a seal master."

"You always wanted to have a student to teach, don't you? Your request to be a jonin sensei was revoked previously because of your furry problem, and after Naruto was born the both of us don't really have the time for anything else outside of work and being at home for her. Your furry problem is gone now, and Naruto doesn't need as much attention as before, why don't you try and take on a student officially?"

Kushina looked up to face Minato.

"You mean…"

"Yes, I mean exactly that. Take Haku as your apprentice. An apprentice to the sealing arts. Not only can you pass on your knowledge and try to help him in your own way, but you also get to finally teach a student, _your _student, and I know you have been wanting to take on a student for a long time now. I will help too if you need it."

Kushina's frowned a little.

"Do you think Kizashi will approve of it? Haku is still a flight risk, and if he really leaves Konoha in the future with all the knowledge we taught him about sealing, even if he never became a seal master…"

"That's what we are there for, isn't it? We don't need a Yamanaka to know that Haku has severe trust issues, this is the whole reason why we are discussing this topic in the first place. I don't think Kizashi realised this yet, but if he wants Haku to trust Konoha and to be loyal to the village, we need to first show him some trust. Trust is a two-way street, I think that is why Hanabi managed to befriend him. She earned his trust by putting all her trust in him. She never doubted him once."

"Do you really think that I can help him?"

"If anyone have a chance of getting him out of his shell, it is you. I am also thinking of letting Haku meet my team during your lessons. Rin and Obito might be good for him, I'm not too sure about Kakashi, but who knows?"

"As long as that brat don't bring his porn book and read it in the kids' presence, I'm fine with it." Kushina glared at Minato and he could only give a sheepish smile in return. At some point in time after the third war, Minato was at his wits' end in trying to get Kakashi to open up and socialise with people other than his own team. He was discussing about his worries to some of his closer friends and the Sandaime happened to overhear it when he walked past, and he gave Minato a suggestion. Despite knowing that it may backfire horribly at that point in time, he really has no other ideas on how to help Kakashi. He was a little desperate. So, he took the suggestion and introduced Kakashi to the series of books that the Sandaime wrote himself.

Introducing Kakashi to Icha Icha is one of the worst decisions he had ever made in his life. Kushina gave him hell for it, and when Kakashi actually got addicted to those adult novels and read it _openly in the public_, she was _pissed_.

On the bright side, it did help Kakashi open up _a little_, even if Minato doesn't know how reading an adult novel helps one to open up. He mentally sighed, the things a sensei do for his students. An enraged Kushina is an unstoppable and scary Kushina. Even when her anger had subsided, he was still ordered to sleep on the couch for an entire month before she was appeased.

"I swear to the Shinigami, Minato, if Kakashi introduce Haku, or any other kid, to that thrice damned perverted book, you will be sleeping _outside_ the house, and I will burn all of Kakashi's private collection. If I have to be the next Hokage to ban these books from being sold in the village, then I _will_ do it."

Minato winced. He knows when Kushina is kidding and when she is not. She is definitely not kidding right now.

He really needs to warn Kakashi about this, his place on the bed is at risk and where he will be sleeping in the near future depends heavily on his student's behaviour. More importantly…

He also needs to find a better hiding place for his own collection too, _just in case_ Kushina finds them. He doesn't want to know what will happen to him if she happens to chance upon them. Maybe he will just claim it's Kakashi's? Minato had already taken on Kushina's rage once for his sake, it's Kakashi's turn. Kakashi will understand his reasoning, right?

* * *

**AN: The MinaKushi part was not originally part of the chapter, it was added in after I have finished editing the chapter. I was thinking that if there was a character in Naruto that can understand Haku's current plight, who would it be? The answer I arrived to that question is Kushina, and I think you can also not only see how similar their circumstances are, but also the differences in it. They both lost their homes, they both have no one left, and they are both forced to live the rest of their lives in a foreign land. However, Kushina had Mito until Mito died while Haku had no relatives, and I think this is one of the main differences between the two. Given what I know about Kushina's personality, I tried to imagine what Kushina would have felt when she first saw Haku and I tried to write out her thought processes from there. I'm not sure if I nailed it, the MinaKushi part felt a little off to me, like I'm missing something or I approached the issue in the wrong way. But I think that this part is necessary, and so I decided to just keep it. Of course, another reason is also because I am a fan of MinaKushi, and I just want to try writing their interactions. Minato and Kushina might be very important figures to Haku in the future, and I want to set the stage so that it will be possible to introduce them to the story for real if I really decide to do so. I took a surprisingly long time to complete the last part of the chapter, but I'm glad I wrote it out regardless.**

**I know some of you will probably bash me for killing of Jiraiya, but I am firm in my decision regarding this issue. I want to create a very different AU of Naruto for this story. Not so different to the point that it is unrecognisable, there will still be parts that pan out the same as in canon, but different enough for the differences to be noticed. Every character that I decided to let live or die has been given a lot of thought before I wrote it out, and I am sure that killing off Jiraiya is the choice I want to make. His death will make an influence much later on in the story, assuming I get there. I won't know if letting some of the characters live/die will be the correct choice until this story truly takes form, but fanfiction is a place where mistakes are made and for us to grow from there. If you really cannot accept how I killed off or let certain characters live, just stop reading. I had already warned you about it in the first chapter.**

**The real difficult part in writing out WOTI is accurately capturing Haku's internal thoughts and conflict. It is really, really, hard for me to find and capture the balance I envisioned in my mind. I don't want this to be an angst filled story, but a little of angst is necessary in the beginning given how Haku was treated and the circumstances he found himself in. I want to show you guys the transition in his thoughts. I want to show his dilemma and how he changes and grow as a person. I want to bring Haku out as an oc, and show how different he is from canon Haku in this story. I named this story 'Walking on Thin Ice' precisely for this reason, not just because it sounded nice. This whole story revolves on how Haku is stuck between two opposite views, how he face his contradictions, how he balance between his wants and reality, among many things that I will introduce in the future. Every decision he made will have consequences, and not all of them are pleasant ones, so he has to choose very carefully. This is why I took so long to edit this chapter.**

**I want this story to be perfectly balanced, as all things should be. (Pun totally intended)**

**So far, WOTI is the story that has gave me great satisfaction in writing other than RC. It's not that I don't enjoy writing my other two stories, but I just felt a greater connection to the former two. The Naruto series had influenced me since I was young, and admittedly, it has actually taught me life lessons that I didn't learn from anywhere else. This is the reason why I wanted to write a Naruto fanfic. The issues explored in the series can be very deep and thought provoking, especially Nagato and Itachi, even if the way they handled it is… frankly, not the best. Who says you cannot learn anything from reading mangas?**

**Already, I cannot wait for the day where I complete all of my current stories. I want to see them complete, but I know that reality can be a bitch and there's always a chance that it might not be possible to finish writing all of them. I never thought that I will be writing stories and I only started a few months ago. I think deciding to write stories, even if they are only fanfictions, have been one of my best decisions in life thus far. It has been good for me and my mental health. Uni life is stressful and there are many times that I felt like giving up, but I am still hanging in there, so I count that as a win. Writing stories helps me to deal with my over imaginative mind and provides a proper outlet to let my imaginations run wild. **

**I might want to write an original story of my own in the future, but if that does happen, it will probably not be anywhere in the near future. I need to secure a stable job first after graduation before anything else, and I'm not confident enough in my writing to create an entire world of my own. I need more practice.**

**Thank you for reading my rant, and I hope that you enjoyed reading my stories thus far.**


	6. Chapter 6- C Rank Mission

Genin Arc

"Haku, stop reading these boring scrolls already."

"These are high level jutsus, Hanabi. How are they boring? Look at how they document the chakra usage, it's interesting to just read about it. I can't wait to try performing the jutsu already."

Neji watched on in silence at the side as he perused through the Hyuga jutsu library with Hinata beside him. Unknown to most, the byakugan actually allows the user to copy their opponent's jutsu to a certain extent, although it is not as efficient and effective as the sharingan. All the Hyugas need to do is to take note of the hand seals and memorise how the chakra flowed in their opponent's body before the jutsu was used. However, many high-level shinobis are fast with their hand seals and the byakugan's sense of slowed perception is not as pronounced as the Uchiha's sharingan, hence they don't really have a high success in copying high level jutsus. Still, over the years, the Hyugas had managed to copy a wide variety of jutsus from many sources ever since the start of their clan's founding, and their jutsu library is very impressive, even if many of their clansmen never got about to learn the jutsus here due to their inclination towards their clan's taijutsu style.

Haku is currently browsing through the scrolls documenting the copied Water jutsus, which were mainly copied from Kiri shinobis, and Hanabi is trying to distract Haku from it by playing and pulling at his hair even if she did not put much strength into it. They may not realise it, but the two of them are practically inseparable from each other and glued to each other at the hip. Anyone who spends time with Haku will realise that Hanabi is the only person that he truly cares about and anyone else is merely an afterthought. In Neji's opinion, Haku cares enough for him and Hinata, but it is largely because they are Hanabi's family. Haku doesn't give his trust easily, and it took some time for Haku to open up to him and Hinata even if they see each other on a daily basis. It took about three years for Haku to decide to add him and Hinata into the list of people he cares about, just right below Hanabi. Hiashi and his own father, Hizashi, is close to making their way there, but their stern demeanour isn't helping and they are often too busy with clan duties to take care of the four of them properly. Both his mother and the twins' had also passed on early, leaving them all without a mother figure.

When Neji first saw how distrustful of people Haku is, it makes him wonder how bad the bloodline purges are in Kiri for Haku to show such distrust in people. Hanabi probably earned his trust from their shared circumstances due to how they met and helped each other find their way to Konoha while trying to make sure they don't catch the eyes of foreign shinobis. They had experienced life-and-death situations together. Such bonds are not easily ignored, and they tend to bind people closely to one another if they survived the ordeal.

"Hakuuuuuuuuuu. Hakuuuuuuuuuuu. Hakuuuuuuuuuuuu."

"Stop whining, Hanabi." Haku said as he completely ignored Hanabi waving her hand frantically in front of his face. "I'm trying to concentrate here."

Hanabi may be the heiress of the clan alongside Hinata, and Hiashi had never declared who he wanted as his successor, but the way Hanabi carried herself is usually frowned upon by the main house as it is 'not the proper behaviour as an heiress of the clan'. Hanabi is usually stoic and reserved in public to uphold her image as an heiress, but she can be a talkative and rambunctious girl when she is alone with them. She is also having too much physical contact with Haku, a stranger and an outsider despite his adopted status, and such behaviour from women is also unacceptable in the eyes of the clan, who have strict and traditional views on how a woman should interact with a man who is not part of her family.

Neji had gotten himself into a genin team by now, and soon it will be his siblings' turn. Neji can be very exasperated by his team's antics, especially from those of his sensei and his mini-me, but he is glad nonetheless that they are his comrades. He can trust them with his life. He hopes that the three of them who he views as his siblings can also find people who they can place their trust to as well, especially Haku. He needs to be more trusting of people.

"Hakuuuuuuuuu. Hakuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu."

Neji silently wondered if Haku had secretly invented a jutsu to allow him to ignore Hanabi's antics altogether given how unbothered Haku is at Hanabi's actions. It's not hard to see that Hanabi is very fond of Haku, and that she probably had developed romantic feelings for him somewhere down the line ever since Haku was adopted into their clan. Neji isn't sure if Haku realised Hanabi's feelings for him, but he knows that Haku also cares for Hanabi in his own way although he is probably still a little broken to truly know what love is. Hanabi is trying her best to fix Haku with help from Hinata and him, and Neji thinks that it is working. It's just that it takes a long time for any visible effects to be seen. Ever since Haku introduced them to ice skating, Hanabi had mandated Haku to go ice skating at least once every week to take a break from training and also to socialise with other people or she will pester him non-stop otherwise. Their whole class had somehow gotten wind of the skating session, and everyone in their class loves it when it is time for the weekly skating session and practically invited themselves to the sessions, much to Haku's annoyance. Even the Hokage himself came a few times to try it out when he heard it from Sakura. Haku's hobby soon attracted all sorts of shinobis and some of them were very famous, like the Sandaime Hokage and even Kato Dan. The weekly meetup soon turned into a session where people from different clans and backgrounds will get together and it has improved clan relations in Konoha. The part of the Naka River where they use for ice skating was soon turned into a place to lounge about, courtesy of the Uchihas, who have jurisdiction over the area. Konoha's weather is too hot for ice skating most of the time, and hence Haku is usually needed to be around since he is the only one in Konoha capable of turning the river into ice even when it is the summer season. Neji knows that Haku don't really care about the 'fame' that comes about with the skating sessions since he is more concerned with secretly training himself in using his Ice Release while having fun and fulfilling Hanabi's demands, but many shinobis in Konoha are now aware of Haku and his potential. The fact that he can maintain the frozen skating rink for hours under the hot sun speaks volume of his improved mastery over his kekkei genkai. His control over water is even more outstanding.

Hanabi had given up at pulling Haku's hair by now and plopped herself down to sit beside Haku, leaning her head towards the scroll in an obstructive manner and forcing Haku to tilt his head in another direction to continue reading the scroll. The archaic clan elders will probably be jumping on their feet if they saw the close contact between Hanabi and Haku. This is not a 'proper' Hyuga behaviour, especially for her status as heiress, even if Neji knows that Hanabi never cared if she was declared as the next in-line or not.

"Hanabi, I can't read if you keep blocking me with your head."

"That's the whole point."

"Stop bugging me and go do something else."

"Go get a life and stop reading already."

Hinata shook her head at the sight in fond exasperation and she continued to read the scroll that explains about the technique and chakra control required for the more advanced techniques of the Gentle Fist. Despite being twins, Hinata and Hanabi have very different personalities, and sometimes Neji feels as if Hanabi is closer to Haku than to her own twin.

Hanabi purposely moved herself to sit in front of Haku in between him and his scroll, only for Haku to substitute himself with a nearby stool to escape Hanabi.

"Haku!"

"Stop chanting my name."

"Haku. Haku. Haku. HakuHakuHakuHakuHakuHakuHakuHakuHakuHaku-"

"Damn it, Hanabi. Stop chanting! It's annoying!"

"I will annoy you my whole life if I have to! Stop doing training stuffs already! You have been at it for three hours! _Three hours_! Today is a _weekend_! We should go out and have some fun!"

Neji allowed a small smile on his face. These are his siblings, blood-related or not, and being near them always bring him a sense of joy and peace despite how different they are in their personalities. He will do anything for them, just like he knows they will do anything for him as well, even if Haku tries to deny otherwise. Haku is not as cold as he appears to be. Beneath the cold and uncaring exterior is a kind heart, and Neji knows that the ice surrounding Haku's heart will melt one day. They just have to wait for Haku to come around.

They are siblings, and he will do anything for them.

* * *

This is the moment of truth. Today is the graduation day. Today is the day where we will be placed into genin teams, and I really hope that my presence didn't screw anything up.

"…Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, your jonin leader will be Hatake Kakashi…"

Well, at least the members of _that_ team didn't change, even if now there are two kunoichis on the team instead of one and the Kakashi of this world don't possess the sharingan, although he did lose an eye even before I met him. Naruto's family name is also the same as in canon, she took up her mother's clan name instead of her father's family name. In a shinobi village, there is a lot more power behind a clan name instead of a non-clan one, which should be the reason behind the decision.

I listened on as Iruka-sensei read off the list and found that the teams of the canon rookie twelve remains the same, surprisingly enough. However, neither my name or Hanabi's had been called out yet.

"…Team 13: Hyuga Hanabi, Yuki Haku, Shimura Sai, your jonin leader will be Uchiha Obito…"

I am in the same team as Hanabi? And also with Sai and _Obito_? God, this is a recipe for disaster. Sai is the most socially awkward person I have ever seen and I have seen Obito a few times in my lessons with Kushina-shishou and Minato-shishou when Obito happened to visit them together with Kakashi and Rin. Kushina and Minato had taken me on as an apprentice in Fuinjutsu a short while after I started my lessons with them, and so I have many opportunities to interact with the students of the Yellow Flash.

Obito is a trouble magnet and sometimes his antics can get out of hand without anyone keeping an eye out for him. Only Rin truly knows how to keep him in line since she is his girlfriend. I am still curious though, given what I knew about their relationship in canon, I wonder how Obito managed to ask Rin to go out with him. They were dating even before I got myself into Konoha.

After Iruka-sensei finished with listing out the teams, jonin instructors began to enter the classroom one after the other to pick up their new teams. I don't see Obito anywhere. He probably is late trying to help an old lady cross the road or to save a cat that is hiding up on top of a tree. Even Kakashi is already here and had picked up Team 7.

The only thing that didn't change about Kakashi is that this world's version of Kakashi is a huge fan of Icha Icha as well, but the author of the series this time, surprisingly, is the Sandaime instead of Jiraiya, who is already dead.

Our previous Hokage is a super perv. Go figure.

"Hi there, girly-kun."

Sai greeted me in what he thought is an endearing nickname as he moved to sit beside me and Hanabi. We are the only ones left in the classroom. Obito, I guess I should start calling him _Obito-sensei_ now, is probably going to be very late.

"Sai, it is not nice to call Haku by that nickname."

"I can't think of a more suitable nickname for girly-kun, crackers-chan."

I sighed. Sai is hopeless. Sai had decided to call Hanabi 'crackers', as Hanabi's name means 'fireworks' and her temper and personality can be very similar to a firecracker: spontaneous, unexpected, and loud when ignited.

I glanced at Hanabi and Sai, who are now arguing about the nicknames. Hanabi's combat attire now consists of a sleeveless, blue V-neck shirt with mesh armour underneath, together with blue shorts and sandals. She also wore a beige colour jacket that is similar in design to Neji's over her shirt, but she left the zipper open instead of closing it up like what Neji preferred. Her hair had grew past her shoulders, but I know she has been contemplating on whether to cut it short or to grow it out.

"Let's just go and find our new sensei." I said as I stood up. "Knowing him, he will be at least two hours late if we wait for him to find us."

"Lead the way, girly-kun."

I swear, Sai. One day, I am going to castrate you for giving me this nickname.

* * *

No matter how we searched, we just can't seem to find Obito-sensei. Not even Hanabi's byakugan got a glimpse of him. Hanabi's range is not able to extend to the whole of Konoha yet, but it should be wide enough to at least catch a glimpse of Obito-sensei by now. We have been searching for an hour. Sai had also helped with his ink techniques to draw a large number of rats to search for Obito-sensei, but there are no results.

"Something's not right."

Sai gave a hum of agreement as we took a short break in the park at the centre of the village. Even if Obito-sensei is a jonin, we should have at least found a clue to his whereabouts by now if he is truly 'lost on the road of life' for being overly helpful. This means that he is actively hiding from us, he knows that we are searching for him.

"This is a test."

"Huh?" Hanabi said in a confused tone as she turned to look at me.

"Our new sensei is testing us to see if we have what it takes to locate him. There's no other reason why we cannot find any trace of him in the village unless he is out for a mission, which shouldn't be the case since he should be notified that he will be taking on a genin team prior to this. Even if it is an emergency mission, someone from the Hokage office would have informed us by now that our sensei is temporarily unavailable, so Obito-sensei must be purposely hiding from us."

"I think I have come up with a suitable nick-"

"Not now, Sai."

How are we going to search for Obito? How is he hiding from us? I don't think he is using Kamui since that will be overkill and we are only genins, so he must be hiding in a way that it allows us to find him if we give it enough thought. If tracking him doesn't work, then we need to flush him out or to bait him out of his hiding place. What will force him to come out?

"Let's go. I have somewhere in mind."

Sai and Hanabi didn't voice any disagreements as they followed me, they don't have any better ideas themselves.

I hope Obito isn't too pissed at what I'm planning to do.

* * *

Obito slammed open the door to his sensei's office in the Hokage tower.

"Minato-sensei! You called for an emergency mission?! I saw the messenger hawk!"

Obito watched as his sensei looked up from the pile of papers on his desk and greeted him with a smile.

"I am not the one looking for you." Minato pointed to another corner of the room where three brats are resting on a couch nearby. "They are."

Obito turned to look at who his sensei is pointing at and found the genin team that he was assigned to looking at him instead. Hanabi even had the audacity to wave cheekily at him.

"Hello, Obito-sensei. We figured that if we cannot track you down, we might as well let you come to us yourself. Minato-shishou was very helpful." Haku replied in a respectful tone, but there is no hiding the amusement in his eyes.

Obito scowled. These brats! They tricked him by roping in Minato-sensei!

"They had you there, Obito. Now, go and do some team bonding. I have work to do and I wish to knock off early today."

"Thank you for your help, Minato-shishou."

"You are welcomed, Haku-kun."

Obito's assigned genin team followed Obito as Obito led them to the training ground that was assigned to them for their use.

"Alright, you brats. That was smart of you." Obito said as he let the three genins sit down on the grass in the training field and make themselves comfortable. "I wanted to test your tracking skills, but I wasn't expecting you to do that. You guys need to brush up on your tracking skills, by the way. I was hiding underground near the academy most of the time."

"Well, that explains why my byakugan didn't catch you, or why Sai's drawings cannot find you. None of them can search underground."

Obito nodded in affirmation. While the byakugan gives the user a wide range of vision and is able to allow the user to see through objects, byakugan users usually don't extend their vision to underground. It is hard for them to move about without being able to see where their feet are moving to, and it is something anyone who knows this trait of the byakugan can exploit.

"We should have thought of it. I could have controlled the underground water to flush you out if we had a generic idea of your location."

"Anyways." Obito gave a clap and plastered on a mega-watt smile that would make Guy proud. "You guys passed. Even if you guys didn't manage to track me, you guys at least have the brain to trick me out of hiding and made the bait look real."

"So girly-kun was right. You were testing us."

"Can anyone tell me why I tested you three on tracking out of the many things I could have tested you on?"

There was a slight pause as the three of them pondered over his question.

"With Hanabi's dojutsu and Sai's drawings, we are pretty much able to search for anything so long as we have a clue on what we are searching for. I don't know where I fit in, but I think we make a pretty good search and rescue team. Sai is able to ferry many people with his drawings, he had done it before." Haku replied as he laid out his reasoning and Obito nodded. His reasoning made sense.

"We can also be an ambush and assassination team. My clan is known for being lethal assassins with the combination of our dojutsu and Gentle Fist, and Sai is one of the stealthiest in our class. Haku is no slouch in this area as well. Haku can be very fast while remaining silent."

"I didn't know you think so highly of me, crackers-chan."

"Shut up, Sai."

"Bingo!" Obito clapped his hands a few times. "You guys are absolutely right! What Hokage-sama is aiming for when he put you three together is to double as a search and rescue team and an ambush team with a slight inclination towards assassination. Well, given your skillsets, you guys can pretty much be anything, really. The three of you together makes a very well-rounded team. I am more of the idea of training you guys into a quick response team, to be able to handle any situation and to aid teams that are in need of help. From what I know, you guys are capable of travelling quickly, especially with Sai's ink birds. It's still a little too early to fit you guys into a fixed role, but at the very least, being a search and rescue team or an ambush team like Hokage-sama intended requires you guys to be adept at tracking and navigation, that's why I tested you guys on your tracking."

Obito cleared his throat before continuing.

"I wanted to test on your teamwork and combat skills as well, but your file states that you three are pretty high up there in terms of combat skills for genins, and the teamwork you displayed when trying to find me is also better than what I expected it to be. And with that-"

Obito made a hand sign, and a huge congratulatory banner complete with party poppers bursting out coloured streams of papers appeared out of nowhere.

"- I officially declare the birth of Team 13!"

* * *

"Not bad, Not bad at all."

Obito murmured to himself as he watched his cute little genins sparring against his Shadow Clone. It has been two weeks since he passed them and got themselves officially registered as a genin team. His team of genins are all a bunch of little geniuses, unlike him when he was young. Obito have nothing much to teach them when it comes to combat skills. Hanabi is most likely going to be a taijutsu specialist like most of her clansmen are, and there's nothing much Obito can help her with in her taijutsu. Her clan is better suited in teaching her. Sai's battle style is also very unique, but Obito can't even sketch an egg properly, much less teach him how to fight with his ink techniques. The most he can do is to put Sai through more training like evasion training, taijutsu training, physical conditioning, tracking practices, and that's basically it. These are stuff that Sai can improve during his own time, Sai don't necessarily need him for these. Haku has a good mix of taijutsu and ninjutsu, even if it is obvious that he will be favouring ninjutsu in his battle style and eventually grow into a ninjutsu specialist like him in the future. Obito can teach him a few Water jutsus he copied thus far, but that's about the extent he can teach Haku. Haku is a natural at Water techniques and he came up with quite a number of jutsus of his own creation, some jutsus he had were reverse engineered after he heard the description and the theory behind it once, like the Water Prison Jutsu. Obito knew Haku prefers not using his bloodline unless necessary, and he had seen first hand how scary his Ice Release is. He was the one who first found and rescued him from the Kumo shinobi after all, he had saw the state of the other two Kumo shinobis Haku killed. One was impaled from below, the other was cut into half from the waist.

Haku would have been dead if he were to arrive just a second later. Haku had partially froze himself in ice together with the Kumo shinobi, and even Obito himself had a hard time trying to thaw and melt the ice to retrieve the unconscious Haku with his Fire jutsus without injuring him. In the end, he decided to warp Haku away with Kamui, leaving the medic nins to figure out how to safely thaw Haku out instead.

The only thing Obito can train them in now are team formations and how to fight as a team, along with teaching them advanced levels of tracking and evasion. By all rights, the lessons on tracking and evasion are usually reserved for chunins and higher, but if his cute little minions are able to digest and utilise what they learnt from his lessons at this stage of their career, he doesn't see why he shouldn't teach them.

For genins, the three of them work well together even during the first try in their team exercises. At least it was a lot better than his own team under the tutelage of Minato-sensei back when his team first got together. There were obvious kinks to be smoothened out for Team 13, but that was to be expected. Hanabi and Haku knew each other battle styles and preferences, and it is obvious that they know how to fight against and alongside each other. Again, not a surprise, since Haku lived with the Hyugas and Hiashi had adopted him into the clan, making Haku his pseudo-son. Haku and Hanabi must have trained and sparred with each other very frequently. The addition of Sai disrupted Haku's and Hanabi's momentum somewhat, but the duo adjusted to Sai's addition quickly enough for it not to be a big issue, even if their teamwork still can be improved.

There are many things that you can tell about a shinobi from the way they fight. Sai is calculative, and he likes to observe from the sidelines as his team mates figure out the extent of their opponent's abilities before going in for the kill, much like a snake. Sai will make a good assassin, and considering who his grandfather is, Obito isn't surprised. Hanabi is a little short-tempered and impatient and it reminded Obito a little of his younger self, but Hanabi controlled herself well enough in combat although it is a different story once she is out of combat. Hanabi is a little spoiled at how everyone in her family treats her like some sort of princess, and only Haku can control her the moment she gets into her 'princess-mode' or 'bossy-mode'. Hanabi prefers to be in the thick of things and decimate her foes with her taijutsu although she can be very cunning if the situation calls for it. Haku likes his battles to be short and decisive and won't hesitate to aim for the vitals to bring his foes down as quick as possible. He is capable of providing both short and long range support and is especially wicked with how accurate he throws those senbons of his. If he ran out of those, he will substitute the senbons with water needles or ice needles if he thinks it is necessary. Haku is unrealistically pragmatic and is the type to do first, ask questions later in combat. He had heard of that infamous stunt he did in the academy to his fellow classmates who insulted his mother, and there was a long period of time where many students in the academy were unwilling to interact with him after that. They fear and distrust him, and Haku doesn't trust most of them as well. Among his peers, the only people who truly earned his trust are Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji, and that is because he had been living with them since he came to Konoha.

And that is the worrying thing, although Haku is able to socialise with others normally, he has trust issues and doesn't gives his trust easily to anyone else. In his eyes, being on the same side doesn't necessarily equate to being your comrade. Haku needs evidence to show that whoever he is fighting together with won't stab him in the back before he can trust you to fight alongside him. The only person who he seems to care about is Hanabi, and by extension, Hanabi's twin sister and her cousin since they all grew up together. According to the files compiled by the academy instructors, some of his classmates from the academy had managed to earn a little of Haku's trust as well, so at least Haku isn't that much of a lone wolf as much as Obito had feared he would be.

Great. Hanabi has temper issues, Haku has trust issues, and Sai has social issues. His entire team has issues.

Hanabi's temper issue isn't that big of a problem since it is only a slight one. Sai's social awkwardness does not affect his performance out in the field. However, if Team 13 is to be a real shinobi team, then Haku's trust issues needs to be fixed or they will never achieve a higher level of teamwork. Obito is glad that the Hokage at least have the sense to place Haku with Hanabi to mitigate this problem somewhat, but Obito really have no clue on how to help Haku further than this. He could enlist the help of a Yamanaka to counsel Haku, but something is telling him that it will push Haku away more than it helps him the moment he sees a Yamanaka therapist walking his way. More bonding session for the team, perhaps? Maybe he should drop by and visit Minato-sensei later, he may have some ideas. Minato-sensei always have ideas.

"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"

Haku released a stream of water from his mouth and they quickly surrounded Obito's Shadow Clone in a sphere of pressurised water, trapping the clone. Hanabi and Sai had shepherd the clone to where they want it to be and it allowed Haku to go in for the finishing move.

Well, they did it. They definitely could be better at capturing his clone though, but that's what he is here for. He is their sensei now and he is here to teach them.

"Good job, my little minions!" Obito gave a clap as he dispelled his Shadow Clone and the memories came flooding in. "How about a mission before we call it a day?"

"No. More. Tora. Or I will kill you, sensei."

"Aww, my cute little nabi-chan, how did you know which mission I am going to send you guys on? Your byakugan can see the future?"

Hanabi looked like she wanted to pummel him this instant, but Haku placed a hand on her shoulder and prevented her from attempting to murder him. Sai just looked unaffected at whatever is going on around him.

"Well, let's go catch ourselves a cat, shall we?"

* * *

D rank missions are boring. I don't see a point in hiring ninjas to things like grocery shopping, walking dogs, painting fences, finding lost pets, etcetera etcetera, but at least they are easy money to earn.

Other than the Tora mission, that thing is a menace. I swear that the cat must be a spawn of the devil and that it must be a descendant of some sort of summon animal. No way is a regular pet that quick and crafty.

Obito-sensei had said that D rank missions are equally important as the higher-ranking ones, that they helped build a positive image of Konoha shinobis to her civilians, that it is through D rank missions that genin teams built up their teamwork. Yeah, right. I don't think even he is convinced by this explanation, and that he probably regurgitated what was told to him by his sensei, which was told to him by his sensei's sensei, which was told to him sensei's sensei's sensei.

In other words, bullshit.

Obito-sensei had very helpfully showed me a few rare Water jutsus that he had encountered before which I learned with vigour. Obito-sensei is not that proficient in Water jutsus although he knows enough to use a few if he really needs it. His chakra nature is more inclined towards Fire and Earth jutsus. He also knows that none of our team will be good enough in genjutsu, and so he taught us how to identify and break genjutsus instead, and that is the extent he taught us about the subject on genjutsu. Hanabi is the best at spotting and breaking genjutsus thanks to her byakugan, but Sai and I are not bad at it either.

After Obito-sensei is satisfied that the three of us are up to snuff with our combat techniques and after the three of us had complained to him about the slew of D rank missions, including Sai, who also had enough of doing chores, Obito-sensei decided to acquiesce to our request to take on a C rank mission.

Thus, that's how the four of us found ourselves outside Konoha's walls and moving towards the small civilian village that we are tasked to help out with their bandit problem.

I had never ventured outside Konoha's walls ever since I found myself in Konoha, and I don't think things have changed back in the Land of Water. I'm not sure if the bloodline purges are still ongoing in Kiri or whether the rebellion had started, but I'm glad that I'm no longer there even if I hate getting myself stuck in Konoha as a shinobi. I had grown to accept my circumstance, but there's still a small part within me that secretly hopes for a shinobi-free life even if my rational mind told me otherwise.

Hanabi and Sai are also excited to go out of the village's walls as well although Hanabi was a little apprehensive at first due to her kidnapping experience, but her curiosity won over her trepidation in the end. Hanabi can be a little uncontrollable at times whenever she is excited. Upon learning that we will embarking on our first C rank mission, Hiashi just reminded Hanabi and I to be careful and told me to help keep an eye on Hanabi, which I will, even if he did not say anything about it.

We assumed a diamond formation as we travelled, with Hanabi taking point and Sai and I at the side. Obito-sensei brings up the rear and we made small talk with each other to stave off the boredom. Soon, it became a conversation of Sai trying to find a suitable nickname for Obito-sensei, he still hadn't managed to come up with a satisfactory nickname to describe sensei even if it has already been weeks since we were a team.

"Come on, Sai. Give me a cool nickname."

Sai brought a hand to his chin in a thinking pose, and I have no doubt that he is legitimately thinking really hard on a suitable nickname for Obito-sensei.

"How about..."

"Sensei, I see the village up ahead."

Hanabi deactivated her byakugan and it took us another two minutes before we saw our destination.

"Alright, time to find our client, and then we are taking out the bandits."

It only took us minutes to find our client. The client is the chief of the village, a middle-aged man in his forties and he circled out the area on our map where the bandits are known to be sighted.

"Alright, check your radio sets. All good? Then spread out and let's being searching."

"Roger."

"Affirmative."

"Yes, sensei."

I went towards the east side while the other three of them spread out in other directions as we tree-hopped silently to search for clues on the bandits' hideout. Half an hour later, I stumbled onto the bandit camp that is partially hidden among the rocks and trees near a small hill. As per protocol, I sent the rest of my team a signal through the radio set for them to converge on my location before we take them out together. For now, all I need to do is to stay hidden up on the tree and wait for my team's arrival.

"Mffph! Mffph!"

I turned towards the strange sound that caught my attention and saw a few bandits returning to camp with a girl, about fifteen years of age, tied up and gagged as they dragged her along the ground.

"Hey boss! Look who we got here!"

"Ain't that a cutie?"

"Who's going at it first? Hahaha!"

"The boss, of course. Hey boss! You want her?"

Scums. The whole lot of them. Where are my team? They need to hurry!

"Eh, you guys can have some fun first. I stayed up late to settle a deal last night, I'm too tired."

There were whoops of cheer from the remaining bandits and after a game of rock, paper, scissors, the winner proceeded to drag the girl towards an isolated corner which is out of sight of the bandits' camp. I don't need to be a genius to figure out what they are going to do to her.

I gritted my teeth in frustration. Obito-sensei had given strict orders not to engage until the entire team is here unless our cover has been blown. On the other hand, if I waited for my team to arrive, it might be too late for the girl.

For some reason, the predicament of this girl reminded me of the time when Hanabi and I ran into the Kumo shinobis. The Kumo shinobis were planning to kidnap her back to Kumo to rape her as well, and the thought of it makes my blood boil.

Is this what I will be seeing if Hanabi and I failed to reach Konoha and Kumo succeeded in their plans?

The bandit had dragged his captive and disappeared out of sight in the short moment when I was contemplating on my next decision.

Screw it, I'm saving her.

I silently made my way to where that bandit had disappeared to through the treetops and found the bandit, pants already down and trying to pull down the long skirt of the girl who is struggling in his grasp, and for a brief moment, I had the illusion that the girl lying down there _could_ have been _Hanabi_.

I will kill that piece of trash.

I dropped down from the treetops and before the bandit could turn around, I took out a senbon and used it to pierce a major artery in his neck. He dropped down gurgling in his own blood and he was dead within seconds. Easy. It's still so easy to take a life even if the last time I had done it was so long ago. Why do I still find it so easy? What is wrong with me? The me from my previous life can't even look at a chicken getting slaughtered without feeling queasy.

"Keep quiet." I whispered to the frightened girl as I put a finger to my lips in the universal gesture for silence. "I am a shinobi of Konohagakure, I'm here to help."

I cut open the ropes tying the girl with a small blade of ice I conjured and freed her.

"We need to wait in silence until my team arrives, can you do that?"

The girl nodded quietly and I can taste the fear in her simply by crouching beside her. She's scared.

"Oi, Bashi, are you done?"

Crap, one of them is getting closer and closer to our location. What should I do? Even if I henge into the bandit I killed to impersonate him, his corpse is still bleeding and lying right there, I don't have time to hide it and I don't know any Earth style jutsu to bury it!

"Bashi?"

Damn it, this mission just went FUBAR.

I fished out a few senbons from my weapons pouch and hid in a corner. The bandit calling out for Bashi appeared seconds later and he saw Bashi's corpse, but I got him before he could get another word out and killed him silently in the same way I killed Bashi. Everything should have turned out alright.

The only thing I didn't account for is that the girl I saved gave a shocked gasp at the sight of me killing the second bandit. From what I can hear where most of the bandits are supposedly congregated, the noise of their movements suggests that the entire bandit camp had heard her and they are now moving towards our location. I don't know how and why they linked the gasp to a possible infiltration, but I guess the lack of the sounds of the girl screaming as she got herself raped might have been a huge clue that something is wrong too. The camp isn't very big to begin with, and the gasp from the girl could be easily heard given how loud it was. I could take the girl and hightail out of here, but that would mean that the bandits will know that the location of their hideout has been compromised and they will escape from here, which means that our team would have failed the mission.

I should have just let the girl remained tied up.

I tapped onto my radio set as I gave the stink eye to the girl, who had just realised what she had done.

"Sensei? This is Haku."

_"Haku? What is it?"_

"Change of plans, my cover has been blown, I have to act now. You guys better hurry."

_"What? Haku, you-"_

Whatever Obito-sensei tried to tell me was cut off as I dropped the connection. I am not a true sensor, but I am able to have a rough feel of the chakra levels of those around me if I stretched my chakra senses enough. To my relief, none of the bandits' chakra were abnormally large for a civilian, suggesting that none of them were ex-shinobis.

"Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu"

I spat out a large glob of water and it split into four Water Clones, who immediately took off quietly in different directions to enact my plan. I have the element of surprise while the bandits have the numerical advantage. This could go either way, I don't know how good my skills truly are in the real world since I never had the chance to test it out other than with the kids in the academy, but I think that handling the group of bandits on my own shouldn't be an issue.

There was a loud cry from the bandits' camp and I knew that my plan has started. I took a peek from where I was and saw two of my clones killing a few of the bandits. My clones probably have about a tenth of my power at most, so I wasn't expecting them to kill too many of them. The other two clones had jumped out as well, and they circled around the bandit group, keeping them within an invisible enclosure and grouping them together for me.

Perfect.

I emerged as I went through the hand seals for one of my favourite techniques that I had managed to reverse engineer based on what I know from the manga series and the scrolls in the Hyuga library. This technique is usually used for trapping an individual, but if I expand on the size, trapping an entire group of bandits shouldn't be an issue.

"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"

I sprayed a huge amount of water from my mouth which quickly encompassed the group of bandits in a pressurised sphere of water. Some of the bandits tried to get out before the Water Prison is formed, but my clones threw them back in there. Before long, the entire group is struggling within the Water Prison as they tried to move but failing to do so, the pressure within the sphere is too huge for them to move even a single limb.

It wasn't long before the entire group fell unconscious in the water due to the lack of oxygen. Some of them might have drowned and died, but I don't really care even if they do. I released the technique and my clones dispelled themselves. Maintaining all of them at once is a little chakra intensive, and while my chakra reserves are larger than the average shinobi my age, I don't have an abundance of them either. I prefer to save my chakra whenever I can.

The rustling of leaves got me on alert and I automatically went into a defensive stance as a few figures emerged. Two men and a woman appeared and from their attire, all of them are Kiri shinobis. What are they doing here?

"State your purpose in the Land of Fire, Kiri shinobis."

It is not rare for a shinobi to be in foreign soil to complete a mission for their clients, but usually they need to register themselves at the border patrol of the country that they are completing their mission on and obtain a pass to be there. They also need to show proof that they are not there to commit any acts that may harm the country that they are visiting.

"We are just here to retrieve a stolen item." One of the men pointed to a small box lying in the middle of the clearing where the bandits were resting earlier. "We will take it and then we will go."

"Show your pass."

The other male shinobi practically ignored me as he attempted to walk past me to get to the box, only for me to throw a senbon at him to force him to back off.

"Look at that, it seems that not all Konoha nins are tree huggers after all. They can be vicious too."

"Jun, let's just complete the mission and go." The kunoichi of the group reasoned.

"I take it that you guys came here illegally then. As a shinobi of Konoha, I have the right to detain any foreign shinobis trespassing on our soil, you should know that."

Trespassing on foreign soil without a pass is a crime that is punishable by the victim country. According to the peace agreement drafted up at the end of the third war, I have the right to kill the three Kiri nins if needed, assuming I am able to do so. Of course, I am sure that many villages sent their shinobis into foreign land without an approved pass, including Konoha. But as the saying goes, if you want to do it, don't get caught. However, these Kiri shinobis blatantly announced their presence to me without a pass (can't they just appear after I leave?), and I have a duty as a shinobi of Konoha to detain and stop them the moment I saw them.

"You think rules ever stopped us Kiri nins? What can you do to us anyway?"

"I thought that you guys would have been too busy killing each other off back in your country to even be anywhere else."

That comment of mine immediately earned a scowl from the guy named Jun as he launched a few kunais at me, only for me to block them with my senbon. To be honest, I have no idea why I decided to use senbons when I first started to learn using weapons, even till now. It might be my knowledge of canon influencing me, but using senbons just felt right to me, that senbons is the weapon best suited for me.

"Gan, Jun, we need to move. There are shinobis on their way here, probably friends of the kid's."

The two men cursed as they moved as one to get to the box. I threw a few senbons to force them to dodge and delay them, and quickly went through hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"

I spit out a huge amount of water from my mouth as it took the form of a vortex of water before it exploded from the top in a wave. From what Obito-sensei told me, this jutsu was a favourite of the Niidame Hokage as it allowed him to create huge amounts of water with a reasonably low amount of chakra. Chakra wise, this jutsu is cost effective.

The three Kiri shinobi split up from my attack and I went in for my next move.

"Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"

This is a jutsu that I remembered canon me used in the manga, although I have never seen any scrolls documenting this jutsu so I created it myself. For now, I will just claim it as my own creation.

The water I spat out quickly turned into countless sharp water needles and they flew at the three Kiri nins from all angles, who either blocked the attack or dodged it somehow. From this alone, I can tell that the three of them are probably chunin or maybe jonin in strength. I'm screwed. Obito-sensei better hurry or I might be reduced to a corpse the next time we meet.

The one named Gan drew out a cleaver-like blade that he strapped on his back and slashed at me, the speed of it was so fast that I barely had time to dodge. I was one of the fastest in the academy, and even I am having problems dodging his attacks.

"Sorry kid, I don't have anything against you, but we have a mission to finish. Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Gan's companion, Jun, used the water I spat out to send a roaring water dragon at me. Fuck, why couldn't they be genins? Why must they be jonin level?!

No choice. Time to go all out.

I distanced myself from Gan, who had successfully forced me to be in the path of Jun's attack. I raised a single hand in the direction of the water dragon and called upon the cursed power that took the life of the person who I once called my father.

"Freeze."

The huge water dragon was stopped in its tracks and I now see the three Kiri shinobis looking at me in shock, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Delicate feminine features, pale skin, the ability to control water and freeze them. You are from the Yuki clan. You are from Kiri." Gan said as his blade remained pointed in my direction. What he said wasn't a question, it was a statement. They now know that I originally hailed from the Land of Water.

"Gan, Kiri needs him. The boy shouldn't be in Konoha, it's not where he should belong."

"There's a jonin level target approaching with two genin level targets, we need to hurry! The amount of chakra the jonin have is unreal!"

The woman must be a sensor, shit.

"The two of you get this boy back to Kiri, I will hold the jonin off. We need to bring this boy home. His powers are invaluable to overthrow Yagura."

"Mei would no doubt love the pretty boy too." Jun mused.

Hello? I am standing right here! At least ask for my opinion when I am the person in question!

I wanted to use my radio set to warn Obito-sensei about Gan, who took off to intercept him, but the kunoichi threw a few kunais that broke the radio set as I was too slow in getting out of the way. On hindsight, I should have used it earlier to warn them about the appearance of the three Kiri shinobi. Big oversight on my part.

Obito-sensei is good, but I am not sure if he can take on Gan while he is keeping an eye on Hanabi and Sai at the same time. He will be forced to be on the defensive if Gan decides to aim for Hanabi or Sai instead. I need to end my battle fast, or to see if I can sneak off and regroup with my team so that we can escape back to the village together and call for reinforcements. We are not suited to face a group of three jonin level opponents.

Jun and the kunoichi rushed in to take me on, and I know that they are trying to take me back to Kiri alive. That gives me some advantage since I know they don't want me dead, although I have no idea on how far I should push my luck.

I jumped back to rush through another set of hand seals, this technique takes up a lot of chakra and it's my best bet to overwhelm them to find a chance to get out of here. I don't have masterful use of this technique yet unlike canon me, since I don't have any references or notes about this technique other than watching it through the TV once in my previous life, and I don't have a teacher who is a master of Water jutsus like Zabuza to teach me anything, so I created it from scratch. There are still many flaws in this imperfect technique, but it should be enough to get me out of here.

"Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

Numerous mirrors made of ice rose from the damp ground and surrounded my opponents in a dome. I entered into one of the mirrors and my reflection appeared in every mirror.

"Sorry guys, I don't have anything against you, but I really don't want to go back to Kiri."

After I returned Jun's words back to him and the kunoichi, I unleashed a rain of senbons down on the two jonins who stood back to back and expertly deflected my senbons. I am still unable to go from mirror to mirror at light speed unlike what canon me managed to do. I am good enough to jump from mirror to mirror without being caught, but jumping out of the mirrors to ambush the two jonins before going back in again is a bad idea since I have no idea what they are capable of. They might be able to match my speed. Hence, adopting the wait-and-see approach is the best thing I can do for now.

With a single hand seal from my left hand, ice spears erupted from the ground beneath the two jonins and it forced them to separate from each other. There are a few senbons that found their mark and embedded themselves in them although they did no real damage. I should have coated my senbons with poisons or paralytics.

"Why won't you want to go back to Kiri?" The kunoichi shouted while avoiding and deflecting my attacks. "It's your home!"

"Kiri has been nothing but cruel to me, why will I want to go back there?" I retorted as I kept up my attacks. I'm glad that I had brought along _a lot_ of senbons for this mission. Being overprepared is always better than being underprepared. "You guys want me for my kekkei genkai anyway, you just see me as a tool."

"And Konoha doesn't?"

I kept quiet. The kunoichi had a point, I am a tool to Konoha as well. I didn't have a choice when I chose to stay in Konoha. Do I truly belong there? Even after all these years, I don't think I have truly felt that I belonged in this world or Konoha. Sometimes I still dream of my past life, even if most of it is a vague, blurry mess now. I can't even remember my previous name. The only person who kept me sane and grounded in reality was Hanabi with all her incessant bugging and chattering and being an annoying presence in general. I know that I am not in the best state of mind ever since I was forced to kill my father after witnessing my mother's murder. Hanabi's presence reminded me that I am still here in this world, and even if the whole world was against me, I have her. She had full confidence in me, and I know I can trust her to watch my back in desperate situations. She knows me better than anyone else, even myself. She is always on my side.

She will be heartbroken if I left her for Kiri, or if I got myself captured by Kiri. For some reason, I hate seeing her cry. I still remembered how she cried as she ran for help while I tried to stop the remaining Kumo jonin from getting to her, and I hated it, even if I still don't know why I feel that way.

I need to get out of here.

"Ice Release: Ice Prison."

Numerous ice pillars sprouted from the ground and the two jonins are forced to dodge. I gave a wave of my hand, and the pillars then move to converge on them in an effort to crush them.

The kunoichi managed to dodge the pillars and senbons and tried to get out of the dome of mirrors, but I rose another pillar to block her exit.

"Found you."

The kunoichi gathered a large amount of lightning chakra in her fist and jumped towards the mirror that I was hiding in. How did she find me?!

I quickly moved out of the mirror I was in to jump into the next one in case the kunoichi is really capable of breaking my mirrors with her bare hands like what Tsunade did once. I had asked for her help in testing the durability of my mirrors using Kushina-shishou's connection to the Sannin. The fact that Kiri Kunoichi uses lightning-based techniques is bad news as well. My mirrors may be nigh indestructible against physical attacks, but it does not protect me from getting zapped by lightning. I haven't perfect it to that extent yet.

Jun moved himself to block my way the moment I'm out of the mirror. Damn it, I really need to work on the mirrors if I ever get back to Konoha. The speed at which I jump from mirror to mirror too. That needs work as well.

I mentally commanded the mirrors to break down into ice spears and rain down on both jonins. The mirrors are useless now since the kunoichi had managed to flush me out.

I quickly draw out some water from the air to write a seal on the ground with my finger using the water as a medium. The seal is not going to be stable since I used water instead of chakra conducive ink and I wrote it into the ground instead of writing on a scroll, but it should work.

The ground exploded around me, with only a two-meter radius around me untouched by the blast. The explosion was designed in a twenty by twenty meter area with me in the center, which should be big enough to include the area where the two jonins are and also exclude the area where I left the civilian girl at. If she's smart enough, she should have gotten away by now among all the chaos. I'm glad my impromptu seal worked out, I need to thank Kushina-shishou and Minato-shishou after this.

Assuming I managed to get back to Konoha in one piece.

Somehow, Jun managed to get to me through the explosion and engaged me in a taijutsu fight, an area of the shinobi arts which I am not the best at. I dodged and weaved through his attack and tried to see if I can gain some distance, but he is not giving me any chance.

The unnatural flicker of light around me caught my attention and I realised that something is wrong. The kunoichi stood at a far end behind Jun, hands in a seal as her form starts to blur and disappear.

_Genjutsu _

"Kai!"

I dispelled the genjutsu and it was just in time as Jun's fist came soaring at where my head once was. I ducked and rolled out of the way before throwing more senbons at him, but he used a kunai to block it. The kunoichi lashed out at my location with a water whip which I managed to get away except that she had managed to nail me on my left shoulder and drew blood.

It hurts like hell too.

There was a sudden blow to my neck from behind and I fell forward, only to see the kunoichi behind me when I turned my head slightly. The figure of the kunoichi that used the water whip vanished.

A double layered genjutsu?!

I fell onto the ground and felt myself fading into unconsciousness.

I really hope that Hanabi doesn't cry when she learnt of my disappearance.

* * *

**AN: I only just knew that the byakugan has other functions other than x ray and 360 degree vision. I'm kind of happy about it as it means I now have more room to grow Hanabi's abilities as a kunoichi. So, according to the Narutopedia, this is what the other abilities of a byakugan are in case you were as clueless as I was:**

**1)Grants incredible clarity and insight, able to clearly see and analyse all minute details, even at high-speeds, granting a highly accurate sense of prediction to anticipate the flow of events and actions of others.**

**2)Able to use infrared to detect a target through their body heat. **

**3)Determine the development of one's chakra, even tell if one can mould chakra at all. It can even see the elemental affinity of others. **

**4)Also, a powerful enough user can see into a target's mind to determine their thoughts and feels, even look through their memories, which Kaguya perform to such a level that even Hamura proved incapable of repelling with his Byakugan. **

**5)It can also emit powerful chakra pulses to subdue an opponent.**

**The first ability kind of reminds me of the sharingan, the third and fourth ability is kind of op, although I have no idea where ability five came about. I certainly don't remembering about it.**

**I took a long time to decide on who the third genin team mate would be. In my original plans, I had noted that I previously wanted either Sai or Sakura, and I did not make a concrete choice when I left this story in a corner and forgot about it. I wanted Obito to be the sensei as he being around certainly adds to the fun and the quirky dynamics of the team. I chose Sai in the end, simply because I think he suits the team more than Sakura after much thought.**

**Some of you might be puzzled at why Haku looks so underpowered during the fight, but in this story, he wasn't taken under Zabuza's wing, a master of the Silent Killing technique and water techniques. I think it makes sense that Haku's water and ice techniques are not up to par in certain aspects since he grew up in Konoha now and none of his teachers are known to be masters in Water techniques. This Haku gets his experience from mainly sparring with kids his age at the academy and the only time he have to fight jonin level shinobis will be during training sessions. Canon Haku probably had more hands-on experience with real shinobis and that automatically puts the Haku I created at a disadvantage. My Haku can only teach himself and there has to be a limit on how much he can achieve in that condition. This Haku isn't canon Haku, who is stated to be a certified genius. The only advantage that my Haku has is his mature mind and the experience of having already lived once. They might have the same body, but not the same mind. Having the advantage of being reincarnated doesn't automatically mean that you will be better than your canon counterpart, especially when the circumstances are different. Many stories I read made the oc stronger than their canon counterpart simply because they lived once, and I don't agree with it, not totally anyway. The reverse can very well happen too. If you found yourself reincarnated as Itachi, can you guarantee that you will be as badass as him? I don't think so. Itachi is way too gifted and smart.**

**I don't know how to express this point about reincarnation in the story, so I am writing it here in the AN.**

**Some of you disliked how I portrayed Haku being pushed around, but I think that it is the realistic way of what is going to happen in a village where the entire economy and their army are made up of killers with super powers and you had displayed yourself as a potentially valuable asset in their eyes. There's nothing Haku can do about his condition in his current state. Maybe when he reaches a certain level of skill, S rank for instance, Yes, he can do something to make his life better. But definitely not now. You guys mentioned that he feels like a puppet, and you are right. That is what I am trying to bring across. He is a puppet for Konoha right now, because he has no power to do anything, and this becomes part of his drive to grow stronger even if he hated the idea of becoming a shinobi because Haku would have hated being a puppet. No one likes being a puppet. Konoha is by no means a democratic society, they are a military at its core. If the commander asks you to go left, you go left, full stop. You cannot question your orders. In my opinion, that's how a military like Konoha will work, especially so when Kishimoto referenced the Naruto world from the feudal era of Japan. It was when I was reading the reviews that I realised that I should have made more of an effort to point these out when posting the earlier chapters, I had thought that it was obvious enough. I need to remind myself to make my points clearer next time.**

**On another note, no one can truly stand being alone, and Hanabi's presence is the only one Haku can 'tolerate', so to speak. There's no way he can possibly remain totally aloof in the years he was there, I don't think anyone can. So I think it makes sense for him to form a personal connection and attachment to Hanabi as well, going out of his way to do certain things for her sake. Haku isn't cold and uncaring, or he would have just left Hanabi when he first found her to increase his chance for survival. He isn't obligated to help her. Haku just appears the way he is as a form of self-defense mechanism to protect himself. **

**This problem is what I was talking about in the previous chapter, that it is really hard to bring all these points across while finding the perfect balance. I will also have to ask you guys to be patient. Some of my readers that stuck with me since I wrote my earlier stories will know, I don't have the tendency to explain everything at once in a single chapter, some of your doubts and queries will have to wait until the next few chapters are out before you see the whole picture. It is just how I write. If you don't like it, fair enough. Some of you have expressed your dislikes politely and I appreciate it. Thanks for sticking around thus far. **

**Other than that, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7- Trust

Obito fought with the Kiri shinobi that appeared out of nowhere to slash at him with his overgrown blade. If it were any other circumstances, he would have ordered Hanabi and Sai to go on ahead to assist Haku, who is no doubt in a fight on his own. However, the two of them are only genins, and sending them to aid Haku when he has no idea on the strength of the foes that Haku is facing is not a sound decision. There's a possibility that he might be sending all three of them to their deaths.

Sai's ink lions pounced on the Kiri shinobi but he sliced them even before they could touch him. Hanabi sent in a wave of shurikens, but it was easily deflected by the Kiri nin's blade. Obito used this chance to send out a large fireball before following up with a huge fire dragon to trap the Kiri shinobi in a sea of flames, but his enemy braved through the flames and came out relatively unscathed.

Obito had half a mind to just use Kamui to search for Haku while taking Hanabi and Sai along with him, but every usage of it takes him a step closer to total blindness, and he have no close living relatives left to swap his eyes with. Obito have to consider every usage of Kamui very carefully. Tsunade had theorised that implanting the cells of the Shodai Hokage, her grandfather, might be able to delay or stop the blindness due to his overwhelming life force, but that research is still a work in progress and there's no guarantee that it might work. This Kiri shinobi is not giving him any time to rest and decide on this matter as he kept up with his attacks on him. At least the Kiri shinobi is not going after Hanabi or Sai so it made things slightly easier. Still, Obito cannot use his more destructive techniques around his genins who have no idea how to best support him, and thus Obito is stuck with using lower level techniques, which wastes a lot of time. Precious time that they can use to get to Haku.

If he was alone, or with Rin and Kakashi, he would not need to split his attention between fighting this Kiri nin and protecting his students. This Kiri shinobi would have been six feet under the ground by now. The Kiri nin is not as strong as him. This guy with the overgrown blade is mid A rank at best even when Obito is at his worst.

A shrill whistle caught everyone's attention and the Kiri shinobi leapt back to keep his distance away from Obito and his two genins.

"Suiren and Jun should have completed their objectives. I have no more quarrel with you Konoha nins. Farewell."

"The hell? Wait up!"

Obito dashed in to prevent the Kiri shinobi from leaving. A foreign shinobi had attacked them on their own soil without any warning or explanation, Obito simply cannot let him leave just like that.

The Kiri shinobi threw two kunais with explosive tags attached at the end of it, one for each of his genin, and Obito was forced to stop and knock them off course with his own kunai in case his genin didn't manage to get out in time or defend themselves from this sneak attack. However, the Kiri shinobi also used this window of opportunity to throw down a smoke bomb and had disappeared in that short moment.

Damn it!

Every shinobi in the Elemental Nations know that it is common occurrence that shinobis sneaked in and out of the countries' borders and everyone turns a blind eye so long as you don't get yourself caught on foreign soil and don't try anything that might start another war. The borders of each country, especially the great five, is too big for border patrols to be truly effective and no shinobi village is big enough to dedicate the required manpower to maintain a successful guard on their borders unless it is an all-out war where every shinobi is present at the frontlines. However, in peacetime, it is a different story if foreign shinobis blatantly show themselves on foreign soil and attack on their own volition. Obito have no idea if this means that a fourth war is brewing, but he cannot leave the safety of the village and his students to chance.

Obito sent an emergency flare out into the sky that will get the attention of the border patrol. They will be on alert and keep a lookout for any foreign shinobis now, that particular flare had meant that some foreign shinobis had sneaked in and that everyone should be on high alert. The border patrol will also probably be sending a small team here to investigate.

"Hanabi! Can you get a visual on Haku or the Kiri nin?!"

"I'm still searching for him, but I think I found the bandit camp, and Haku isn't there!"

Damn it, what happened?! The portable radio set they have on each of them are unable to connect to Haku's as well. They have no idea whether Haku is dead or alive.

Since Haku isn't at the bandits' camp, the three of them continued to move at high speeds towards the direction that the Kiri shinobi had most likely disappeared to, and Obito ran through the options in his mind on what they can now possibly do.

"I found the Kiri nin! He has two other companions, a shinobi and a kunoichi, the other shinobi is carrying… Haku?" Hanabi began to visibly panic. "Sensei! They got Haku! They are trying to bring Haku with them!"

Crap, they must have found out about Haku's bloodline somehow.

"Hanabi, how far are they?"

"About three kilometres at our two o'clock!"

"I will go and intercept them to save Haku, you guys catch up as soon as possible. Sai, send an ink bird to the nearest outpost that you know of to inform them of this new development, I trust that you know of the locations of the nearby outposts?"

"I do, sensei."

"Good, see you two whenever."

Obito felt the twist in his eyes as he activated his mangekyou sharingan, a power he gained after he experienced the death of his grandmother who passed away from old age shortly after the end of the third war. No way in hell is anyone going to take his students away from him. Not even the Shinigami itself can stop him from saving his student.

Obito called upon his chakra and felt the tug that signified the use of one of his best techniques.

"Kamui."

* * *

Gan ran along with his comrades as they successfully completed their mission objective. The fact that they found and retrieved a wayward citizen of their homeland is another bonus. This boy is from the famed Yuki clan, and his powers will be invaluable to help the Rebellion overthrow Yagura for good and usher in a new era for Kiri.

He still doesn't understand how the boy managed to find his way to Konoha from their country, but the questions can come later when they get back to the Land of Water.

It was only the instincts honed through countless battles and from the previous war that the three of them managed to dodge an unexpected attack from above and Uchiha Obito, the Phantom of Konoha, a shinobi known to be capable of sneaking into the most heavily guarded places and also the student of the Yellow Flash, descended upon them like a vengeful god.

_How did he close the distance? And how did he sneaked up on them without even Suiren noticing his arrival?!_

Uchiha Obito summoned a long chain attached to braces on his wrists that appeared from nowhere and lunged at Jun, who was carrying the unconscious boy. Gan leapt in to block Obito's path and slashed at him.

Only to find him and his blade _phasing_ through Obito.

What?!

The chain wrapped themselves around Gan, who is now struggling to break free.

"Gan!"

"Leave me! Get the boy and our mission objective out of here!"

Jun and Suiren are obviously unwilling to leave him behind, but they heeded his words and began to run away from Obito. They will all die here otherwise.

"You won't escape."

Obito detached the chains from the braces on his wrist and huge shurikens appeared out of thin air before launching themselves at Jun and Suiren. Suiren managed to call upon a massive wall of water to stop the shurikens, but Obito had somehow appeared behind her back during that one short moment. It's like he can teleport anywhere.

Was that the Flying Thunder God Technique?! It might be possible that the Yellow Flash had passed on his famed technique to his student. If that's the case, they are screwed.

Obito gave a swift chop to Suiren's neck and knocked her out cold. Jun had put down the boy in favour of defending Suiren and launched a barrage of water bullets at Obito, which did nothing but sailed through Obito's body harmlessly.

What kind of jutsu is this?!

Gan had managed to free himself of the chains by now and slashed at Obito with his sword. Obito jumped backwards to stand in between the Yuki boy and them.

Curses! He had managed to successfully separate the Yuki boy from them!

"Jun, we can't defeat him. Beat it."

Jun gave a nod of agreement and threw down a flash bomb. Gan quickly took the opportunity to grab the unconscious Suiren and ran away as fast as possible with Jun, hoping to get away from the Uchiha, fearing that he might teleport in front of them at any moment.

It's a pity that they couldn't bring the Yuki boy back to Kiri, but they are lucky to get out of this alive. Uchiha Obito is an opponent who is close to reaching S rank in the bingo books, right up there with Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. The only reason why Gan could fight toe-to-toe with him in their initial skirmish is because Obito was trying to make sure he didn't go for the two genins behind him, and Gan exploited that fact in their earlier fight. Gan suspects that Uchiha Obito might have already reached S rank from what he experienced in the second fight, and that his powers might not be properly documented into the bingo books.

They have to report this to Mei-sama. Both about the Yuki boy and Uchiha Obito.

* * *

"Sensei!"

"Took you guys long enough."

Hanabi panted as she arrived onto the scene with Sai. They had ran here as fast as possible and Hanabi had saw how Obito-sensei dispatched three Kiri shinobis without breaking a sweat with her byakugan while she was running here. The abilities that Obito-sensei displayed is beyond her understanding, but at least now she knows why their sensei is listed high up there in the bingo books. After watching that one-sided battle, she has no doubts that if it wasn't for Obito-sensei trying to protect her and Sai, he would have finished off the Kiri shinobi within seconds when he engaged them in battle.

Obito-sensei waved them over to him cheerily where he is sitting down on a large rock next to an unconscious Haku who is lying on the ground.

"Haku's fine, but we need to wake him up. You know what to do, nabi-chan."

Hanabi activated her byakugan again and tapped on several of Haku's tenketsu points. Haku began to stir.

"Ow… Hanabi? Sensei? Sai? Where are the Kiri shinobis?"

"I drove them off. You worried us sick, Haku. What happened?"

Haku slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his neck with a single hand.

"Well, the bandits captured a girl and attempted to rape her, and I cannot in good conscience see that happening in front of me, so I assassinated him. Another one passed by and I did the same thing with the same success, but the civilian girl was a little too loud at the shock of seeing me killing people and it attracted the rest of the bandits, so I have to take them out as well. They weren't the problem. Three Kiri nins appeared out of nowhere shortly after I took the bandits down, supposedly to retrieve a stolen item from the camp or something, but they didn't produce a pass when I asked for it. We fought, they found out about my bloodline, and I lost soon after. I tried to warn you guys that one of them is coming after you, but the kunoichi broke my radio set before I could get the message across."

"I see." Obito-sensei said as he closed his eyes in thought briefly. "We need to be more careful when we are completing missions outside the village walls from now onwards. This incident is probably just a one-off thing, and I don't think Kiri is bold enough to send more shinobis to come after you without risking another war, they have enough internal problems as it is."

"Speaking of Kiri's internal problems." Haku continued as Hanabi continue to scan for any signs of injury on him with her byakugan. "I think there is a rebellion going on in Kiri right now. They were talking about overthrowing the Yondaime Mizukage, and something about someone named Mei. You might want to bring that up with Hokage-sama when we get back to Konoha."

"Got it, thanks for the information. And good job for taking out the bandits. We will go and do some clean up at their hideout later. For now, rest. The border patrol should be coming at any time now. We need to give our findings to them."

"Hai, sensei. OUCH! What was that for, Hanabi?!"

"Don't scare us like that again!" Hanabi exclaimed and she is trying very hard not to cry in front of sensei and Sai from all the worry she felt earlier. "Do you know how worried we were?! If… If they really brought you back to Kiri…"

"Then I will find a way to get back here to you, one way or another." Haku reassured her as he flicked a finger against her forehead and Hanabi recoiled from the dull pain. "We did it once, doing it a second time will not be a problem. It's not like I want to go back to Kiri either."

"I heard a little from my grandfather about how you came here, girly-kun." Sai interrupted. "Both of you were like… four or five? When you both escaped Kiri to come to Konoha, and even then, it was a close call. How did the both of you even managed to find your way here?"

"Trade secret, Sai."

"According to what I had read, friends should not be stingy with each other, girly-kun. We should share our secrets."

"Shut up, Sai. Those books are not even correct half the time."

Hanabi rubbed away the wetness in her eyes with the back of her hand as Haku and Sai began to bicker. She had always known that Haku had never felt as if he truly belonged here in Konoha as he never had a say on whether he could leave or stay when he first arrived, and that's why she tried so hard to make him feel included in the village. It's the least she can do for him, after everything he did to try and bring her back to Konoha when they first met. She felt a little guilty for being the reason why Haku is living a life that he doesn't like. If she have to be honest with herself, she had probably developed feelings for Haku that went beyond being "best friends" a long time ago, but she knows a relationship is not something Haku needs right now. They are still young. She was overjoyed when Haku mentioned that he will find a way to get back to her even if the Kiri nins succeeded in the kidnapping. This is a sign that Haku had begun to try and accept Konoha as his home, and that's all she needs.

"I will need to up the intensity of our training when we get back to Konoha." Obito-sensei mused. "You guys have been slacking off if even Haku was taken out so quickly."

"Sensei, those three _have_ to be jonins, even if they aren't the strongest of jonins. You expect a fresh genin to beat them all? Seriously?"

"You three are _my_ students, Haku. Of course I will hold you guys to a higher standard."

"You are crazy, sensei."

"You haven't seen even half of it."

Haku paused for a short while as if he is trying very hard to get something out of his mouth.

"Thanks for coming to rescue me, guys. I really appreciate it. Thank you."

"_Awwww_, my cute little Haku-chan is embarrassed at being the damsel in distress, how cute!" Obito-sensei said in an obnoxiously loud voice as he purposely ruffled Haku's hair roughly with a single hand.

"According to another book I read about friends, it is expected for good friends to put their lives on the line to save each other in times of danger. You have nothing to thank us for, girly-kun. We are friends."

"We are a team, Haku." Hanabi said as she pinched and twist Haku's ear as he tried to free himself from her death grip. "_Of course_ we will try our best to save you, even if sensei did most of the job this time."

"Sai, look at it! Nabi-chan and Haku-chan are so cute together!"

"I agree. According to a book I read about boy-girl relationships, their behaviour around each other that I observed since the start of our academy can be considered as flirting. And when their relationship progress to the next level-"

Hanabi's face flushed red and quickly let go of her grip on Haku and threw a stone at Sai and Obito-sensei, who merely ducked out of the way.

"According to a book about emotions, this emotion is called embarrassment."

"Absolutely correct, Sai! You are making progress!"

Obito-sensei definitely isn't helping things.

"I take it back." Haku grumbled as he threw senbons at Sai and Obito-sensei to shut them up and they are now busy with dodging Haku's senbons. "I take it all back. I take back everything nice that I was going to say about the team."

Hanabi cannot help but giggle.

Team 13 feels like a real team now. A goofy sensei, a socially stunted artist, a jaded training maniac, and the boisterous princess. They are a bunch of misfits, but they are each other's misfits.

This is Team 13, her Team 13, _their_ Team 13, and Hanabi loves every single one of them.

They are finally a true team.

* * *

We got back to Konoha about a week after our run-in with the Kiri shinobis. The border patrol had turned up quickly like what Obito-sensei had said and we reported what we encountered to them. We also went back to clean up the bandits' hideout and to make sure that there aren't any more of those around the client's village. We head back to the village to bring the client to see the destroyed hideout as proof of the completion of our mission, claim the reward from our client, and head back to Konoha.

The first thing we did when we reached Konoha is to report directly to the Hokage tower about the successful completion of our mission. Usually a desk chunin will be the one recording and filing the report, but somehow Obito-sensei managed to skip the usual procedure and bring us straight to the Hokage's personal office instead.

The Yondaime Hokage listened to our verbal report with rapt attention as we each gave our report in turn.

"I see. If Kiri is indeed experiencing a rebellion against Yagura's tyranny, then that might bring about a huge change for the Elemental Nations." Kizashi tapped a finger on his desk in a monotonous rhythm for a few seconds before speaking up again. "Good job, Team 13, I'm glad that all of you came back safe and sound despite what had happened. Obito, I need you to stay behind. The rest of you, you are dismissed. Your sensei will inform you when you need to report for missions again."

The three of us wasted no time in exiting the office.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Hanabi asked as we exited the Hokage tower.

"I have to go back home to see my grandfather. He had made it clear that he wants to know the outcome of my first mission outside the village the moment I'm back."

"Goodbye, Sai."

Sai waved his goodbye with that fake smile on his face. Hanabi and I slowly walked back towards the Hyuga compound.

"Hanabi-chan! Haku!"

Naruto bounced up to us and we saw Sasuke and Sakura walking to catch up with their blond team mate from behind. Kakashi as well, although he is more interested in his perverted book than us. They are all carrying their backpacks and from the looks of it, they too have just returned from a mission outside Konoha.

"Guess what? We just completed our first mission outside the village! A C rank turned A rank too!"

Hanabi let out a sound of disbelief. I have a feeling I know what C rank mission Team 7 just came back from.

"You too? I mean our mission's ranking got bumped up to B rank instead of an A like yours, but what are the odds?"

"What happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Everything turned out ok, Kakashi-sensei." I replied to his concern. "But Obito-sensei is now stuck in a discussion with Hokage-sama. Hokage-sama seems a little concerned about what we found out during our mission."

"Ah. Thanks for the info." Kakashi snapped his book shut and turned to face his team. "The three of you are free to go, I will report our mission completion to Hokage-sama myself."

And just like that, Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Seeing that it is still early, the five of us decided to take a quick bite at a nearby dessert store, refusing Naruto's request for Ichiraku. We are all sick of Ichiraku after Kushina-shishou bought us those noodles every time we go to her house for a study session when we were still in the academy. Ichiraku's ramen is tasty, but eating those ramens too frequently makes you sick of it after a while. I have no idea how Naruto's family are able to eat them on a near daily basis.

We shared with each other about what our teams experienced after graduating from the academy. The mission that Naruto was talking about was the Land of Waves mission, a mission that I am curious about since it involved canon me.

From what Team 7 told me, they had encountered Zabuza twice. In their first encounter, Zabuza managed to escape after Kakashi broke out of his Water Prison, similar to what happened in canon. In their second encounter, Zabuza fought them on the bridge, but halfway through the battle Gato showed up and revealed his 'masterplan'.

To say that Zabuza wasn't pleased is an understatement.

In the end, Zabuza and Team 7 took care of Gato and his goons together, and Zabuza disappeared shortly after to raid Gato's mansion to get his deserved pay. Zabuza had no known apprentice with him during the entire ordeal. His only known accomplices were Gozu and Meizu, who were taken out by Kakashi shortly after they left the village when they tried to ambush Tazuna.

Zabuza is still alive and roaming out there, and I have no idea what to feel about this development.

Hanabi and I also gave our mission report to Hiashi when we got back to the Hyuga compound. He was concerned about the attempted kidnapping on me, but Hanabi and I reassured that everything turned out fine in the end. Seeing that we are both fine, he told us to be more careful next time before shooing us out of his office so that he can continue with his clan duties and paperwork.

I may not be his biological son, but even I have to say that I am touched at how he shows his care for me in his own subtle way. Hiashi is not the most expressive person I had seen and neither am I, but the acts of care and kindness he had shown to me throughout the years had made me opened up a little to him, just as how Team 13 came to my rescue made me opened up to them a little bit more as well.

Maybe I can start to trust people again.

* * *

No, I am not going to trust people again.

"Aww, come on, Haku-chan! It's for the sake of the mission!"

"I know there is a reason why I call you girly-kun."

Hanabi isn't helping at all as she rolled on the ground in peals of laughter.

"No." I growled out as I pointed a finger at them. "Do that to me, and I will end every single one of you. I will personally carve your names onto the memorial stone and scatter your ashes into the sea."

"But Haku-channnn." Obito-sensei whined like a three-year-old who just got denied of his candy. "How are we going to get the information from our target otherwise?"

"You need a girl? Get Hanabi."

"But she's too recognisable." Sai argued back smoothly. "Anyone would know she is a Hyuga in an instant, and by extension, a shinobi."

"There's something called a Henge. Or you can always get her to wear contacts."

"But." Obito-sensei held up a picture of the target who we are supposed to get near to, and then somehow steal the information from his brain. I'm more inclined towards torturing the information out of him at this point. He is a pig of a man and according to the file, he lusts after little girls. Disgusting. I would have killed him on sight if he didn't have vital information we need to retrieve to complete this mission successfully. "Can you bear to subject Hanabi to… _him_? What if the mission goes wrong and Hanabi is somehow left all alone? What if he…"

I scowled. No way am I dressing up as a girl, but I am even more certain that I definitely don't want Hanabi to go even within a mile near this man if the files on him are accurate.

"There has to be a way to get close to him without needing me to dress up as a girl. We can use your sharingan to get what we need out of him."

"I told you that I will only be supervising this mission, Haku-chan. The three of you are the ones who are going to complete it." Obito-sensei chided as he waved a finger at me in a disapproving manner like I am a disobedient puppy. "Since I'm not going to interfere, my sharingan is out of the question. So between the three of you and your skillsets, approaching the target through disguise, build rapport with him, and then getting access to his home is paramount if we want to be efficient in retrieving the information we want. It just so happens that our target has… _questionable tastes_ and we sure as hell don't want to subject our only lady here to possible…" Obito gestured vaguely towards the end. We all know what might happen to Hanabi _if_ she is the one doing the infiltrating _and_ something went terribly wrong _and_ we are unable to reach her in time. "In that case, the next best candidate is you, since Sai-kun cannot act like a proper human even if it kills him."

"Hanabi will just end him with her Gentle Fist." I argued.

"But we don't know for sure if our target has shinobi training, or whether he has shinobi guards that can see through Hanabi's disguise immediately."

"Sensei, I thought you said I displayed improvement in acting normally?"

"Not enough to qualify you for this mission, my dear Sai-kun. So which is it? Haku-chan."

Hanabi had recovered from laughing by now and went up to give a solid pat on my back.

"I believe in you, Haku. Even I have to admit I lose to you in the looks department if you dressed up as a girl."

"Shut up." I growled out from the embarrassment I'm facing. "Be glad that the one going in there isn't you."

"Thank you Haku! I know we are best friends for a reason!" Hanabi gave me a brief hug before she shuffled through her backpack and pulled something out. "Look! I even have a spare kimono all ready for you too! It's the prettiest one I have! You are going to look _gorgeous_ in it!"

"Excellent foresight, nabi-chan!"

"Thanks sensei!"

Hanabi pushed the bright orange kimono that she is so fond of wearing back at the compound into my hands, and pushed me further behind the bushes to get me to change.

"Don't take too long now! We need to complete this mission before the sun goes down!"

"I'm going to kill every single one of you. I swear it."

* * *

"_AWWWWWWW_!"

"Shut. Up. Before I puncture holes in your faces with my senbons."

This time, Obito cannot help it as he followed Hanabi's example and fell onto the ground and rolled about in laughter together with her. This is hilarious! He knows his student has delicate feminine features and people often mistook him for a girl, but seeing him dressed up as one… By the sage! He is even prettier than Rin when she was his age!

"You look good in Hanabi's kimono." Sai mused.

Hanabi suddenly have a mischievous glint in her eyes that meant that she is up to no good. "We need to help you put on some makeup."

"**_No_**. I _refuse_."

"But Haku, we need to convince our target that you are a girl! He doesn't go after little boys!"

"I'm _already_ wearing a kimono. _Your_ kimono."

"Actually, on second thought…" Sai trailed off as he went through the file documenting known information about the target again. "Nothing is written about whether the target has a preference for boys or girls, just that he wants them to be little kids."

"Better be safe than sorry then, a girl will definitely work. Haku pulled it off splendidly too." Obito said as he gave a thumbs up at Haku, who scowled, but he somehow managed to look pretty while doing it even if it wasn't his intention to be so.

"No matter how I look at it, he sure looks like a girl the moment he puts on my kimono." Hanabi said out loud as she adopted a thinking posture. "And a very pretty one too. Nee-san and I aren't bad looking ourselves, but even we lost to him in the looks department. Why can't I be as pretty as him?"

Obito grinned and whispered to Hanabi's ear.

"Well, I'm sure that any kids between the _both_ of you _will_ be pretty given how pretty the both of you are. I cannot wait to see how your future kid with Haku looks like, especially if it is a girl, nabi-chan."

"SENSEI!"

Hanabi visibly flushed and strike out with her fingers, chakra flaring with the use of Gentle Fist as Obito howled with laughter while dodging it. Hanabi's feelings for Haku are too obvious, although that poor bloke Haku probably didn't know about Hanabi's feelings for him. For someone so smart, he can be denser than Sai sometimes. Even Sai picked up on Hanabi's fondness for him, and there's no way Haku felt nothing towards Hanabi given how protective he is of her. Sometimes Haku isn't even aware of how he acts around her or realised how natural it is for them to be always together. They are rarely apart from each other and they did almost everything together.

"Er… team?" Sai called out as he pointed from where they are hiding by the side of the road. "I think that is our target passing by."

The entire team turned their heads to follow Sai's outstretched finger. True to his words, the target will be approaching any moment now.

"Go for it, Haku." Obito gave the best impression of Guy's 'good guy' smile to encourage his feminine-looking student and pushed him forward. "You can do it. Make the target fall in love with you."

"Make him lust after your body, girly-kun."

"Don't make me castrate you, Sai."

* * *

The rest of Team 13 remained hidden from view as their target, Kamichi, strolled down the dirt path leading back to his town. Haku lay down in the middle of the path, acting as if his ankle was sprained and unable to get up on his own, a cliché but effective move to seduce idiotic and perverted targets. Obito swears that it works every single time.

Kamichi 'found' Haku like they had planned, and Haku's acting is _superb_.

"I… I am supposed to go to Chisaku town but I'm lost…" Haku's lips trembled and his right hand went up to his lips, his fingers curled up to show signs of weakness and dependency. "I… I don't know what to do… there's nobody here to help me until you came."

"My ankle is sprained, it hurts! I can't walk on my own!" Haku played the part of the injured damsel _perfectly_. Even Obito would have been fooled if he never saw Haku before. Haku looked up to Kamichi as his eyes glistened with water, and Obito wondered if there is a jutsu to make your eyes water in an instant. If there is, Haku definitely knows it. "Will you help me?"

"Really? You can bring me there?! Thank you!" Haku played the part of an excited girl and gave their target a _big_ hug.

The rest of Team 13 watched from their hiding place as Kamichi visibly inhaled Haku's sweet scent in a lustful manner during that hug. Hanabi had sprayed Haku with her perfume that she brought along for this mission since they know that there is a chance they might need to disguise themselves to approach the target. They could have just searched the target's home directly with Hanabi's byakugan, but Obito had quickly declared that this mission will be also used to train them on how to disguise and infiltrate into their target's home through the more sneaky aspects of the shinobi arts, purposely lying to his team that they have to get the information from the target himself and that they are no written copies since the 'target is known to be a very cautious man'. He made that up, of course. He totally omitted the part where the _real_ mission that they are given is to retrieve the information from the target's house, and that the information is probably just lying around in the house somewhere. There is no real need for whatever they are doing now. It's hard to fool Haku, but Obito is glad that he managed to pull it off by mentioning Hanabi. Hanabi is like his weak spot to pretty much anything.

Obito knew that if his colleagues knew about what he did, they would definitely ask: Why go through all that trouble? Just raid the target's house and leave no traces behind. It's more efficient that way.

Obito gave a wicked smile as he brought out one of the best inventions ever invented by mankind.

The camera.

"Obito-sensei! Is that…"

Obito gave a solid nod of his head. Cameras are uncommon and are very expensive. He only managed to got himself one by stealing it from the Kumo Damiyo during one of his missions in Kumo.

"That's right, nabi-chan. This is the reason why I insisted Haku to dress up as a girl. Everything is for this moment."

"What are we waiting for?! Quick!"

Obito wasted no time as he quickly snapped pictures of Haku dressed up and acting like the demure girl he is playing the part of. Haku is definitely in his element, he got the target completely fooled and wrapped around his little finger. Even Sai wasted no time in painting what is acting out right in front of their eyes.

This is gold.

The target carried Haku on his back and the rest of Team 13 followed behind discreetly, with Obito taking pictures with his camera the entire journey, purposely zooming in on Haku's face or take pictures when he did certain gestures that would make others think that without a doubt, that Haku is a girl and not a boy.

Best. Mission. Ever.

Who says being a jonin sensei doesn't have its own perks?

* * *

The target carried me to his house on his back the entire journey, and I have to restrain myself from puking at his body odour. I don't really know how to act like a girl even if I am born to look like one, so I improvised. The elegant and demure way of carrying myself is referenced from how Mum used to carry herself, the bubbly and cute reactions are inspired by Hanabi, and the occasional shyness and meek personality from Hinata.

I can't believe I had to act all of these out. Urgh. At least no one other than my team sees the entire process and hopefully their memories of it will be lost to time.

Hopefully.

The target left me sitting on his bed and excused himself to get us some drinks, and I have no doubt that he is going to spike it.

That disgusting pig.

I looked around the bedroom, and a file lying on a table nearby caught my eye.

My curiosity prompted me to look through the file.

Isn't this the information that we are looking for?! It's just here all along?! Why the hell do I need to dress up as a girl then?! We could have just sneaked in and swiped it without anyone the wiser! 'Target is a cautious man', my ass! He displayed no such signs during my interactions with him! The information we had about our target is obviously wrong and there's no way Obito-sensei wouldn't know about it given how cautious and stringent he is regarding mission details. Then why did Obito-sensei say that-

_Oh._

**_OH._**

I fumed as I stored the file in a storage scroll that I brought along and kept it within the kimono, plotting sensei's imminent demise as I do so. I will have to apologise to Rin later, she is going to be short of a boyfriend. Maybe I can convince her to date Kakashi instead to get over her loss? I must make it such that Obito-sensei wouldn't be missed even in his death, even by Rin. How am I going to murder him? Death by senbons? Freeze him in ice while cooking him over a huge fire to see if it is possible to cook someone alive while being frozen? Maybe as an experimental test subject for some of my seals? There are definitely a few that I have been itching to try out. What other ways do I have that are able to make him die a slow and painful death? Drowning him in his own blood?

I'm so going to kill him.

"You must be thirsty." The target walked in carrying a tray with two glasses of drinks. "Here, drink up."

But first, I'm going to kill this pig. He is the reason why this entire fiasco happened in the first place, and the world is better off without someone like him around. I accepted the fact that my moral compass had been lost somewhere a long time ago. The fact that I am able to kill people without remorse no longer bothered me. There are times where I am glad I felt this way, it helps me to sleep better at night.

This is a different world, the values I held dear in my previous life are no longer applicable here. In this new world, new values are needed if I want to survive till I die of old age.

"Sure, thank you." I said as I put on the sweetest smile paired with the sweetest voice I can muster as a senbon slid down into my hand, hidden from view thanks to the sleeves of the kimono.

There are two people that I am going to slaughter today. A pig, and an idiot of a sensei.

* * *

"Haku! Did you get the information?!" Obito yelled loudly the moment he spotted Haku walking towards them at the agreed meeting point.

"Of course I did." Haku retorted as his hands went to search for something within the kimono. "Huh, where did I put it? I'm sure I sealed it in a scroll somewhere."

Obito leaned in closer as he stood in front of Haku.

"Seriously, Haku, you need to learn where to put- WHOA! What was that for!"

Obito barely managed to avoid the senbons that Haku threw out without any warning. Haku looked murderous as he held his senbons in both his hands, one in between each finger. The temperature around the area plummet instantly and white breaths of air can be seen the moment they opened their mouths to speak.

"Stand still, sensei. I just want to murder you, _painfully_. That's all. Don't make this harder than it already is, I am already planning on how to apologise to Rin-san for causing her to lose her boyfriend. I don't want to explain to her why she doesn't even have a corpse left to bury after I am done with you."

Obito yelped and ducked the next barrage of senbons as he continued to run with Haku hot on his heels.

"Wait, wait! Haku! What's going-"

"You sure as hell know what is going on! Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"I can explain!"

"The only explanation I need is your **_death_**. Get back here this instant so that I can kill you! Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"

Hanabi and Sai watched in delight as Haku began to chase and unleash jutsus of the destructive kind on their goofy sensei as they both dashed about the clearing, with Haku looking like a demon from hell and their sensei running about like a headless chicken. Hanabi had already bent down in laughter and even Sai had a smile on his face, a smile different from the fake one he usually wore.

"How mad do you think girly-kun will be if he knew we had pictures and drawings of him dressed up as a girl and seducing our target?"

"Very." Hanabi giggled out.

"We are not telling him?"

"We are _not_ telling him."

* * *

True to his words, Obito-sensei put the team through a much more intensive and rigorous training regime after our run-in with the Kiri nins. He was merciless as he spammed Fire jutsus at us and he is near impossible to catch even without activating his sharingan, showing us how he earned his moniker as the 'Phantom of Konoha'. I'm not sure which is stronger, Obito-sensei or canon Obito, but from his Bingo book entry I know that Obito-sensei should be at least a high A rank threat or maybe even an S rank threat at his current level. I don't think the information about him in the Bingo book is totally accurate, there are some high level stuffs I know he can do that are not listed in the book, especially when it comes to his Fire jutsus.

Obito-sensei also got the three of us to expand our range of techniques and to improve existing ones. With the help from his sharingan in picking out and correcting the flaws of my jutsu, I finally managed to master the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals to the extent of being able to move at near instantaneous speed from mirror to mirror. I am trying to incorporate the concept of the ice mirrors into another jutsu that I am trying to invent for my Ice Release, and if it succeeds, I may have just earned myself a technique comparable to the Flying Thunder God Technique in certain aspects.

I trained myself even harder than before. Our run-in with the Kiri shinobis was a close call, and the next big event coming up, if nothing else changes, will be the Chunin Exams. Since Orochimaru is also a traitor to Konoha in this world, I guess it is safe to assume that it is likely that the invasion will still happen. There's no way I can warn the village of the attack without alerting them to my reincarnated status, and to be honest, even if I am starting to like Konoha, I don't see a real need to go out of my way to help protect it either. The extent of my loyalty to Konoha extends only to the people that I am close with. Whether the establishment known as Konohagakure exists or perish doesn't matter to me as long as the people that I have grown to care about remains safe.

Besides, Konoha has more S rank shinobis now than in canon. Maybe Orochimaru might get himself slain here if he really dares to invade Konoha, and wouldn't that be great?

I dove in and out of the ice mirrors as Obito-sensei pointed out how I can improve further on it while he defended himself against my attacks. My ice mirrors are likely to be my bread-and-butter technique with how much utility it provides me. Obito-sensei is able to keep up with my speed as long as he has his sharingan active and sparring with him is very good practice on how I should fight against foes who are able to somehow keep up with my speed. Right now, not many are able to do so, but Obito-sensei happened to be among the few that do.

"Alright. Time out." Obito-sensei said as he leapt backwards to disengage from me.

I emerged from one of my ice mirrors and let them melt as I relinquished my chakra on it. Obito-sensei had a few senbons sticking out from his body, but he plucked them out as if he felt nothing from the stabs. I didn't manage to do any real damage to him with my senbons since he dodged or blocked most of it. We had agreed that for this spar, I will only use senbons and ice mirrors to attack him and see how it goes.

"Your speed has improved greatly and your mirrors are a lot sturdier now. It helps that you don't need to rely as heavily as before on a ready water source before you are able to use your techniques. Good job, Haku. Even I wasn't expecting that big of an improvement. Keep it up, and one day you might be able to draw huge amounts of water directly from the air just like the Niidaime did."

I gave a hum and the both of us turned to watch Sai and Hanabi sparring on the other side of the training field. Sai had wanted to train more in his taijutsu. Like me, he is not as proficient in a close-up fight and is better at attacking from a distance. Taijutsu isn't his strong suit. Hanabi had volunteered to help him and hence the both of them are out there having a taijutsu bout while Obito-sensei helps me with refining my Ice Release.

Sai lasted another five minutes before Hanabi had him knocked down into the ground. It's already a big improvement for him since it is Hanabi that he is facing, even if Hanabi is going easy on him. She is a monster when it comes to taijutsu, and among our generation, probably only Neji and maybe Rock Lee can beat her with just taijutsu alone. I haven't seen Lee yet in this world although I know that he is Neji's team mate, but his strength in taijutsu should at least be the same as what was depicted in canon. Hinata is good in her taijutsu as well and her skills in the Gentle Fist is on par with Hanabi, but Hinata's unwillingness to hurt people always made her pull back her punches unconsciously, and hence she lost more than she won whenever we sparred with her. I can only hope that she only holds back against her friends and not her enemies. I may not be as close to her as I am with Hanabi, but I don't want to see her wind up dead either.

Obito-sensei brought us back to his apartment in the Uchiha district for dinner after our training session, saying that Rin had wanted to meet all of us and that she is cooking up a feast. He had told us a week ago to clear up our schedules today for this occasion.

I had seen Rin on and off many times during my stay in Konoha, mostly when I was at Minato-shishou and Kushina-shishou's place to study Fuinjutsu and she happened to be visiting as well together with Obito and Kakashi. She tends to mother and fuss over me for every single thing I did, and I don't know why she has such a vested interest in me. Personally, I don't like it when I am being fussed over as if I am a three-year-old kid, but I know that she is doing this because she cares for me, so I kept quiet and let her do her thing as I endured the fussing.

Somewhere, somehow, the list of people that I had grew to accept gets longer and longer. I had told myself repeatedly not to trust people anymore in this world when the tragedy that struck my family happened, but I am finding myself placing more and more of my trust in them. When did it first start to happen? Was it the weekly session organised by the study group? Or did it happen even before that when Hanabi dragged me to eat lunch with Naruto and co. during our academy days?

I don't know.

As usual, Rin fussed over me the moment she spotted me and I can see Hanabi and Obito-sensei hiding a snicker at the side. Sai had a notebook and pen out as he jotted down the ways 'one can show affection and care to another'. He always has a notebook on hand for him to write down his observations on how different people display their emotions and he studies it religiously like some sort of bible.

Dinner was a pleasant affair as the five of us ate and talked about what is going on in our lives in general. I don't really have much to share since my life mainly consists of training, training, and more training. Whatever interesting things I experienced, Hanabi would have experienced it too since she is almost always with me and she can share them on my behalf. Hanabi loves to talk and I prefer my silence, so I let her do most of the talking. Sai shows us the newest paintings he drew. His paintings are an outlet for him to express emotions that he does not know how to describe, and we will try to teach him the various emotions we think he is trying to express through his paintings. So far, I think that this method is working.

"As you guys might know, the Chunin Exams are coming up soon." Obito-sensei said at the dinner table after we finished our meals as he put on a sagely look on his face. "And being the nice, dutiful, responsible sensei that I am, I decided to nominate the three of you for the exams. TADA!"

Obito showed us the application forms for the Chunin Exams in an exaggerated manner and we all leaned in closer to take a look.

"Come on, at least show some excitement! It _is_ the Chunin Exams!"

The three of us stared back at him in a disinterested manner. None of us are exactly keen on participating in the exams for various reasons. Unlike what was suggested in the manga series, you don't need to take part in the exams to earn a promotion to chunin. We will get promoted either way with or without the exams. The purpose of the exams is for the shinobi villages to put up a show of strength, it is a substitute for war. It's how shinobi villages show the world who is the top dog here and persuade their potential clients to hire their services instead of going to the other shinobi villages. Nothing more, nothing less. Many shinobis in Konoha earned their chunin rank out on the field or based on their achievements they accumulated as a genin. Going through the Chunin Exams, in reality, is a hassle, unless you really like the idea of fighting really strong opponents, like Naruto and Sasuke for instance. However, the three of us aren't that type of people.

"Not everyone is as interested as you at the thought of fighting to your death just for the sake of the possibility of a promotion, sensei." I answered dryly.

"Haku, why do you wound me so! My heart! I can't take it! My student just broke my heart into a million pieces with his words!"

"You have Rin-san with you. Ask her to heal you."

"You hear that, Rin? I need you to heal-"

Rin silenced Obito by pressing the heel of her foot on Obito-sensei's foot -_hard-_ with a sweet smile on her face. I can see my sensei's face scrunching up and I counted him displaying at least ten different painful expressions on his face in just a few seconds. I have no idea how he did that.

"So this is how someone's expression looks like when they are experiencing extreme pain…" Sai trailed off as he noted down more notes in his little notebook. "Rin-san, do you mind doing it again? I'm afraid I didn't catch all of sensei's expressions."

"Sure thing, Sai-kun."

"Wait, wait, Rin-chan! YeowwwwwW!"

* * *

I continue to practice my calligraphy on the work desk in my room. It is our team's day off today and I had finished practicing my taijutsu in the morning. Since it's too hot to do anything else in the afternoon, I decided to use this time to practice my calligraphy instead. Although the study group don't have study sessions anymore since we graduated from the academy, my weekly lessons with Kushina-shishou and Minato-shishou is still ongoing. Kushina-shishou is planning to start on letting me learn containment seals and I need to get my calligraphy _perfect_ before I can even attempt to start drawing containment seals. Kushina-shishou and Minato-shishou had been nothing but nice and patient with me, and I start to find myself not wanting to disappoint them when learning Fuinjutsu from them. They kind of grew on me.

The shogi door to my room slid open and I don't even need to turn my head to see who had came in. There's only one person in the entire compound who barges into my room regularly without announcing their presence. Even Hiashi knocks before entering.

The typical smell of jasmine wafted into my nose and I felt Hanabi sitting close by my side. Her hair is still a little wet, she must have just come out from the shower.

I idly pushed my chakra outwards and took control of the water still clinging onto her hair, collecting it into a small glob that floats a short distance upwards from us. I sent the small globule of water out of my window and heard it splash outside in the garden surrounding the compound. Hanabi hates the time needed for her hair to dry. Since I have advanced control over water, I might as well use it to help dry her hair and get some chakra control practice down at the same time.

"Why am I not surprised that you are practicing your calligraphy again."

"Why am I not surprised that you entered my room without knocking again. I could have been changing my clothes." I said as I continued writing without even needing to look in her direction once.

"I have the byakugan, and learning the Gentle Fist requires us to memorise the diagram of the human anatomy. You think I will be bothered at seeing you naked? I have seen you naked with my byakugan more times than I can count since we sparred with each other regularly."

Well, she has a point, and I already knew about this when Hiashi told me the traits of the byakugan when explaining the Gentle Fist taijutsu style to me. I still feel a little violated at the thought that anyone with a byakugan could have seen me naked already. Neji, Hinata, Hiashi, and Hizashi definitely did since we sparred regularly. There's no privacy living with a clan of people with all-seeing eyes. There are rules on when and where the clansmen can use their dojutsu in the compound, but I don't know how many of them actually abide by the rules when no one is looking.

I continue to practice writing the kanji for 'seal', a basic kanji that every aspiring seal master should perfect if they want to advance further in Fuinjutsu. I don't think I will ever be a seal master, but I want to be at least good enough to seal most objects away or to at least create my own unique seals. According to Kushina-shishou, my written kanji is good enough, but nowhere near perfect yet, even when I am under her tutelage for so long.

Hanabi sighed.

"Just… take a break already. I don't know how you can keep going on and on in improving yourself as a shinobi even when you don't like being one."

"Practicing calligraphy helps me clear my mind. I don't like beinga shinobi, but if I grow stronger, then no one will be able to force me to do things that I don't like to do. I can finally be free."

Hanabi tilted her heads downwards guiltily.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I told you many times already, I never regretted saving you. I just regret being too weak to be able to say no to the Hokage. That's why I will grow strong, strong enough so that even the great five shinobi villages won't be able to do anything to me."

"If… If you really decide to leave Konoha one day… at least try and visit me once every while."

"I will."

I can feel Hanabi shifting closer to me at my side and our bodies touching each other. The smell of jasmine that is always on her got a little stronger due to her getting closer to me, and somehow, I feel a little uncomfortable at the distance between the two of us.

Strange, I am usually not so bothered with us being so close together. And out of so many things I could notice about her, why am I noticing her scent more than before? She always smells like jasmine and the smell is always pleasant, but why am I so bothered by it now of all times?

Oh. Puberty. I am thirteen this year and I am starting to experience my growth spurt. This must be my hormones running wild, and hence I am now more sensitive and starting to notice more about those from the opposite sex.

Whatever. This is a part and parcel of life, it will go just as quickly as it had arrived. I just have to endure the process until then. I just didn't expect the first thing for me to notice about Hanabi is her scent.

Hanabi said nothing as she rested her head on my shoulder and watched me carrying on with practicing my calligraphy. She's usually not this quiet.

"Something on your mind?"

"The Chunin Exams. I heard people die in it every year, I'm a little scared. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about the exams. Obito-sensei thinks that we are prepared, but I don't think so. Jonin senseis usually don't send out their team in less than a year after they got them."

"We survived through worse when we first met, and we are a lot stronger now. We have Sai with us too. Don't worry too much about it, if worse comes to worst, there's me."

"You nearly died that time, Haku. I know you purposely wear long sleeves shirts for my sake, to hide it from me so that I don't feel guilty about it. I cannot even imagine the pain you felt from all the kunai stabs."

"It hurts, that's true, but we are still alive, that is what matters. The exams are held in Konoha this time, so we are a lot safer as compared to taking the exams in another village."

Hanabi snuggled closer to me and I don't have the heart to push her away, even if her body weight on me is severely affecting my ability to practice my brush strokes properly. Her fear of the exams must have affected her more than I thought.

Oh well, if I can get my calligraphy perfect even in this condition, then I should be able to pass Kushina-shishou's test. I will just treat this as training.

Every breath I inhaled took in a little of Hanabi's scent with it, the scent of jasmine, and it is proving to be a big distraction. I can't even write properly anymore. Stupid puberty.

"Haku?"

"Yeah?"

"Should I keep my hair short, or should I grow it out?"

"It's your hair, do whatever you want with it."

"I'm asking for _your_ opinion."

"If you want to be practical, then keep it short. If you feel a little vain, then keep it long."

"And which one do you think looks better on me?"

I paused in my writing to think about this. Hanabi may be a kunoichi, but she is very conscious of her looks, as all girls are. Kunoichis sometimes like to keep their hair short as having long hair may be used against them on missions, especially when they are fighting with their taijutsu and enemies may just grab onto their hair to hinder them. It is usually not a problem for kunoichis if they reached a certain level of strength, to the point that having long hair will not prove to be a disadvantage.

"Long, I think. I think you look better with long hair. It may be a little troublesome having long hair while you fight with taijutsu, but I think that should not be a problem for you."

"I see."

Hanabi and I continue to spend our time together in this manner, where I practice my calligraphy while she just sat beside me and watch quietly with her head on my shoulder. If it were anyone else, I would have just pushed them away from me the moment they leaned on me, but this is Hanabi. She will just keep coming back to annoy me until she gets her way, I learnt that within the first month I'm in Konoha. It's better to just let her do whatever she wants, it's less troublesome that way.

Damn, now I sound like Shikamaru.

I looked up after awhile and saw the time on the clock. It's been two hours already?

I glanced towards Hanabi and saw that she had already dozed off, with her head still on my shoulder without me realising it.

I silently put down my brush and picked Hanabi up gently, taking extra caution to not wake her up as I carried her bridal style. I exited my room and entered hers, which is just right beside mine, and gently lay her on her bed in her room. I pulled the covers over her body and silently exited her room, closing the door behind me quietly.

Hanabi is right in feeling a little scared for the Chunin Exams. I am too. Orochimaru may very well be making his appearance here, and none of us are able to fight him if we ever encounter him. He is a Sannin, someone so strong that he can toy with most jonins like they are newborn genins.

I clenched my fist as I made my way to the Naka River to practice my ninjutsu. I don't like seeing Hanabi being afraid of anything, it's not in her nature. She's always been very confident. Seeing her so scared of something makes me feel angry for some reason.

I don't understand what kinds of emotions I am feeling right now and why I feel that way, but I do understand that I have to do something to ease Hanabi's fear. In this life, there are only three people that I truly care about and two of them are already dead. She's the only one left. She's the only one that is anchoring me to Konoha and my only true attachment to this world. I need to be able to protect her.

I need to get stronger.

* * *

**AN: I personally feel that this chapter is a very important chapter as I used it to capture the transition of Haku's personality and his way of thinking. I never planned on making Haku hate Konoha forever, although I don't think I will make him grow to love the village like all the other Konoha nins do. I don't see a reason why Haku will turn out that way.**

**There are obvious time skips between the chapters, and I want to portray how close Hanabi and Haku had gotten in the years that they had spent together. I could have dragged it out to write more about the details of the change in their relationship but I felt that it would have killed the momentum of the story. I think that going straight into a canon plot might be a better option for the story to finally gain traction. I find it a little too draggy, I need to amp up the pace of the story and hence I decided to go straight to genin arc as soon as possible without compromising the quality of the story as much as possible. As usual, it is a matter of balance that I have to learn how to achieve.**

**This will probably the last chapter I will be posting for awhile. I still have one more chapter left in my stash, but I don't think it is anywhere near ready yet even if it has already been edited to prose form. I need to find time to revise it. **

**As usual, I hope you enjoy the story.**


	8. Chapter 8- Pondering

"Your brushstrokes are still uneven. Look," Kushina said as she held up the piece of paper that her apprentice had just been writing and practicing his kanji on earlier. "This particular stroke is approximately a few millimetres off where it should be. The distribution of the ink is uneven as well. This particular area," Kushina pointed out a stroke on the kanji with her finger. "Has too much ink while the end of the line-" Her finger traced the line downwards to said area as she spoke. "-has too little ink because too much of it was used when you first started to draw the line with your brush. Your hand is still unsteady. Kanjis need to be _perfect_, Haku, if we ever want our seals to work properly. I know I sound like I'm nit-picking, but this kanji is really unacceptable to be used for sealing purposes. You are close to perfecting your kanji, just try again."

Haku just released a small sigh and gave a nod of acknowledgement before trying all over again on another piece of paper. Kushina watched on as her apprentice began his fifteenth attempt this morning in writing kanjis. It's not like he is not trying hard enough, but for some reason he just can't seem to get it right. His strokes are always a little off, his hand always a little unsteady, and he just can't seem to completely clear his mind to get himself into a calm enough state to write out the perfect kanji.

"You know what? Just take a break for now." Kushina said as she took the brush away from Haku's hand the moment she saw him messing up his fifteenth attempt for the day. "Something is obviously bothering you and you will not get anywhere unless you get it out of your system. We can either sit here all day until your time here with me is up, or you can just talk it out with me and we will see if I can help you solve whatever is bothering you."

"Kushina-shishou, I am fine." Haku insisted with a look of annoyance on his face.

"No, you are not." Kushina said sternly as she placed her hands on her hips. She jabbed a finger in the direction of the pieces of papers that documented Haku's failed attempts. "It shows in your calligraphy. Don't even try to fool me, you are a hundred years too early to be able to do that, gaki."

Haku gave another sigh and Kushina felt her heart squeezed a little tighter. Haku is just a kid, he shouldn't have such a weary expression on his face.

"You heard about the mission that my team went on? The one that got bumped up to B rank from a C rank because we ran into a couple of Kiri nins?"

Kushina blinked her eyes and took a second to process what Haku said. She had heard about that mission from both Obito and her daughter. Kushina wasn't pleased that Naruto's mission was wrongly classified due to a lack of information and she almost went straight to the Hokage's office to give Kizashi a stern talking to if it wasn't for Minato holding her back. It was then that Naruto had told her that the ranking of the mission that Haku's team was on had been bumped up too, although the reason for it this time was due to unforeseen external influences. Naruto's mission, however, was wrongly classified because the mission office was too complacent and failed to check the client's background. It was something that could have been avoided. She had gone to check with Obito about Haku's mission since it is something that affected her only apprentice, only to be struck with the news that Haku had nearly been kidnapped by Kiri nins.

The Kiri nins were lucky that they faced Obito. They would not have gotten off if they had faced _her_ instead.

"Yeah, I heard about it." Kushina said as she moved to sit beside Haku. "Is that what had been bothering you?"

"Not the mission itself. It's just that what happened in that mission got me thinking." Haku spoke as he begins to repeatedly manipulate the water vapour in the air to condense before allowing it to vaporise. It is a chakra control exercise that any shinobi that wishes to master the Water Release has to perfect, she had seen Haku done it many times in his spare time when he had nothing better to do. Haku is miles ahead any other Water Release users she had seen in Konoha. The sphere of water he condensed is the size of a watermelon compared to the average size of an orange. He is only thirteen. Kushina has no doubts that Haku will be a formidable shinobi in the future, the signs are all there.

"Shishou, what is freedom?"

"Freedom?" Kushina can feel her eyebrows coming closer together as she tries to understand what Haku is trying to ask.

"You were like me. You were forced to come and live in Konoha against your will. Your freedom was taken away from you. Don't you feel suffocated? Were you not angry at the arrangement?"

"I was scared." Kushina admitted. "But I was never angry at what happened. I grew to love Konoha as much as I loved Uzu, I found a place for myself in Konoha. I belong here."

"I don't feel that way, and I think everyone knows that." Haku said while his eyes are still trained on the sphere of water floating a short distance of his hand as he allows it to vaporise quickly before condensing it into liquid form again. "I don't dislike Konoha as much as I used to, but I don't think that I will ever grow to love it either. I have never wanted to become a shinobi, I was forced to be a shinobi against my will. I had always thought that if I grew strong enough I can simply leave the village and no one would be able to stop me, but my encounter with the Kiri nins just made me realised that no matter if I stayed in Konoha or not, I will always be hunted down and seen as the last wielder of the Ice Release bloodline. No one will want me to roam free because they want my powers for themselves. Even if I am strong enough to leave Konoha, I will never be truly free because shinobis of all kinds will always be after me if I ever left Konoha's protection. The Kiri nins are a prime example. The first thought they had the moment they found out about my bloodline was to kidnap me back to Kiri. They never stopped to think on who I am, whether I am willing to leave with them, or to even think about asking for my opinion. All they see are my powers and the value behind it. It was then that I realised that no matter what I do, I will never have the freedom that I dreamed of. But as I took a step back, I found that I have no idea on what freedom really is either."

Kushina's eyes softened at Haku's words. She knew better than anyone else what it is like to be seen as an outsider. The entirety of her childhood was spent trying to prove herself to the village and to get herself acknowledged by them. She succeeded. However, Haku does not seek anyone's acknowledgement simply because he doesn't need them. Whatever had worked for her will not work for him.

Haku had probably hated Konoha at one point for forcing him to be a shinobi. Whether the hate is still there remains to be seen.

"Shinobis are never free, Haku."

Kushina have no idea if what she is doing is the right thing to do, but Haku has to hear what she is going to say.

"You will never get out of the shinobi system the moment you entered it. You said you want freedom, assuming you get your freedom, then what? What will what you want to do?"

"I just want to live the rest of my life peacefully without any conflicts." Haku replied. "I never had problems in killing others, but I still don't like how we are forced to kill people we barely knew about simply because it is part of our mission."

"And that will never happen. Do you know why civilians in the Land of Fire flock to Konoha and try their best to convince the Hokage to allow them to stay in here? It's dangerous outside, Haku. Even if you had never met those Kumo shinobis that got you into Konoha, there is no guarantee that you will still be alive. You wouldn't have received shinobi training to learn how to defend yourself. You could have gotten yourself killed by bandits or rouge shinobis simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is why civilians try to get themselves a place to stay in shinobi villages, simply because it is so much safer living in one than to live outside without any form of protection at all." Kushina gestured with her hands as she spoke, and she knew that her motor-mouth is starting to run at full speed although she doesn't give a shit about it.

"So, let's say you succeeded in leaving Konoha after becoming so strong that no one in the village can fight you one on one. But how about facing a whole squad of hunter nins? Can you come out of it unscathed? Even if you do, how about waves after waves of hunter nins? How long can you hold them off until one of them gets a lucky shot in that takes your life? How about shinobis from other villages that wants to try their luck in acquiring you to further their military strength? How many times can you ward off attacks on your person until you are unable to do so? Every shinobi village is formed by the congregation of various clans for a reason. It is much safer in numbers than to be isolated alone. The whole reason why Konoha was founded was not just because to stop the fighting between clans, but also because it is also a lot safer if clans come together to help each other with their problems. There is a clan in Iwa that uses bees, they are called the Kamizuru clan and they had a rivalry with the Aburames. The rivalry was almost as bad as the rivalry between the Senjus and the Uchihas back then. However, they backed away from the Aburame clan instantly the moment the Aburames joined Konoha. Can you now see the benefits of joining a shinobi village? The problem with you, Haku, is that you have to learn how to accept."

Kushina used a finger and jabbed at Haku's chest where his heart is.

"You have to learn how to accept and face your circumstances. No one's life is ever smooth-sailing. I didn't ask for my clan to get wiped out and you don't see me still crying over it. Like you, I didn't ask to be in Konoha either, but I made do with my situation and I tried to fit in instead of distancing myself from everyone else. Admit it, the problem with you is that you wanted to leave Konoha because you wanted to _run_ from your problems. You want to escape from the fact that you have nowhere else to go and that there is no getting out of the shinobi life for you. You want to live a life without killing and bloodshed, but you seriously need to get yourself a reality check. Whatever you wanted is never going to happen. I am not as naïve as Minato. That geek still thinks that true peace is possible, but I beg to differ even if I love him to hell and back." Kushina paused to look at Haku in the eye.

"You _need_ to start learning that there are times where you will be thrown into circumstances that you will have no control over and unable to change a thing about it. What _can_ be changed, however, is your mindset and attitude. You are a bright child, Haku, and I really enjoy teaching you fuinjutsu. But this is something that you can only learn by yourself. You need to _stop whining_ and _man up_. You need to start to learn how to face your problems instead of running away from it."

Kushina finally stopped her lecture and allowed Haku some time for her words to sink in. She still isn't sure if what she did was the correct thing to do. What she just did might have strained their relationship, but she only had Haku's best interests in her mind when she lectured Haku. Haku needs to stop trying to escape from his problems. They aren't going to solve themselves.

Kushina gently pulled Haku into a hug and allowed him to bury his face into her shoulders. The forceful extraction of the Kyubi from her on that fateful night had left her body unable to bear anymore children after Naruto's birth. Thankfully, Minato had never minded that Naruto will be their only child even if she knows that he had always wished for more children. Minato himself had always wanted a daughter and he got himself one in Naruto, but Kushina had always wanted a son and Haku is the closest person to a son that she can ask for. Their circumstances are so painfully similar that she would do all she could to help him, but Haku needs to first learn how to help himself before that can happen.

He needs to learn how to first face his flaws, and then learn how to accept help from others.

Haku pulled himself away from her hug after a short while.

"Thank you, shishou. I… I will think about what you said."

"No problems." Kushina replied as she ruffled her apprentice's hair fondly. "This is what shishous do 'ttebane. You can always come to me if you have any problems. Just don't keep it in within yourself all the time."

* * *

A palm flaring with chakra lashed out at me like an angry serpent and I quickly swerved to avoid it. I used my hand to bat the palm away by its wrist and took a step forward to land a punch on my opponent's gut. She managed to catch it with her other free hand and I quickly substituted myself away with a water clone that was hiding nearby. As I expected, my water clone was destroyed a second later by the use of Gentle Fist. Whatever happened to my water clone would have been my fate if I had hesitated on whether to get out of the way.

"Stop using these stupid water clones!"

Hanabi found my hiding spot quickly with her byakugan and leapt towards me to engage me in taijutsu once more. No way am I fighting her in hand-to-hand combat.

Another splash of water told me that my second water clone was destroyed as I just substituted myself with it and I immediately threw my senbons at Hanabi the moment I gained distance. She deflected every single one of the senbons with her bare hands as I quickly used this borrowed time to go through hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"

The water gathered on the ground thanks to my two clones that were destroyed earlier moved to caged Hanabi in a sphere of pressurised water. Hanabi only took a few seconds before she broke through the confinement by using her byakugan to identify the weakest spot in the jutsu before destroying it with her Gentle Fist.

"I really hate it when you keep using these water techniques. Now my hair is all wet."

"What else are you expecting when you are facing me?" I retorted as I quickly jumped back to avoid her palm strike. "It's like asking me to expect you not to use taijutsu when fighting you."

I managed to wrap one of Hanabi's wrist with a water whip and used it to throw her away to the other end of the training field. I went through another set of hand seals quickly.

"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"

I released water from my mouth like a gushing waterfall and I watched in satisfaction as Hanabi was being swept away and she waved her arms frantically in an attempt to get out of there. My satisfaction was short-lived, however, as she substituted herself with a log just right after and I instinctively ducked and rolled out of the way. It was just in time as Hanabi came down from above and the blow from her palm strike blew a small crater on the ground. My head would have turn to mush if her blow had connected.

"Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Oh hush, there's no way you can get yourself killed with just that one move. You are too good for that. Now stand still so I can shut your chakra pathways down."

Hanabi just keep coming and my senbons did nothing but to slightly delay her charge towards me. I'm a little hesitant to use some of my bigger and more destructive jutsus as we are currently using the training ground in the compound and it isn't very big to begin with. I don't want to accidentally destroy a house or two due to a misfired jutsu.

Hanabi flung two kunais at me which I knocked off course with my senbon before flinging it in her direction. Screw it, I have to start using my bigger jutsus. I don't want to have my chakra pathways shut down by Hanabi's Gentle Fist, I feel like shit every single time she does that to me. Having even a small part of your chakra pathway shut down can hurt. A lot.

"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"

I released a wave of water which quickly spun itself in a drill-like motion and launched itself like a spear. Hanabi dodged it, but I manipulated the water to change its course and redirected it to chase after Hanabi. Hanabi dodged and weaved through the mass of water before hitting it at the side with a palm.

My water construct got destroyed the moment Hanabi injected her own chakra into it to disrupt the jutsu. She turned to face me, only to find a senbon pressing lightly onto her neck as my clone stood behind her with the senbon in hand.

"I guess I win this one."

Hanabi grumbled a little but she accepted her defeat and I dispelled my clone, purposely letting it dispel in a huge splash to drench Hanabi even further. That's what she gets for giving me such a hard time.

"Haku!"

"Can't help it, it is a water clone. They splash whenever they dispel."

I ignored Hanabi's glare and sat on the porch of our house that overlooks the small training field that we were using. I found the bottle that I left there before the start of our spar and took a quick drink. Hanabi joined me with a scowl on her face as she tried to squeeze out the water from her hair.

"Help me dry my hair."

"It will dry itself given time." I answered coolly. "Just let nature take its course."

Hanabi gave me a light kick on my shin and I decided that she had probably reached her maximum quota of getting drenched today. I probably shouldn't irritate her even further.

I redirected the water clinging onto her hair and clothes off them and let it splash on the ground away from us. Hanabi sat beside me and turned around so that her back is leaning against my left shoulder, effectively using me as something for her body to lean against.

The both of us sat there for a short while in silence as we cooled down from our earlier spar. Hanabi is getting better in her taijutsu and I'm finding it more and more difficult to keep up with her whenever we engage each other in close combat. Her skills in taijutsu alone is scary enough to deter most genins and probably a number of chunins. I cannot help but wonder if there is a higher level to the Gentle Fist taijutsu style. For the Hyuga clan to be seen as an equal to the Uchiha clan, surely there must be something in their famed taijutsu style that is able to match the many ninjutsus that the Uchiha clan boast. In fact, I don't understand why the Hyuga clan hardly use any form of ninjutsu or genjutsu in their combat style. All they stick to are their taijutsu.

"Hanabi, have you ever considered using ninjutsu?"

"Using the Gentle Fist already takes up a lot of our concentration to maintain the required chakra control. We have to control the chakra flowing through _all_ our tenketsus, Haku." Hanabi replied absentmindedly. "We rarely have the mental capacity to use ninjutsu on top of fighting with the Gentle Fist."

I closed my eyes and ponder on this issue. The Gentle Fist can be considered a form of shape transformation due to how the Hyugas have to inject their chakra like a very thin needle into their opponent's chakra pathways with absolute precision. The problem the Hyugas faced is probably like how canon Naruto had problems trying to first create the Rasenshuriken. It simply takes too much concentration to combine both shape and nature transformation together. Using them separately or interchangeably would waste time, time opponents may exploit to bring them down.

Speaking of which, did Minato-shishou manage to complete the Rasengan in this world? He never mentioned this famed jutsu of his even once and I have never seen it being used.

"I think it would make the Gentle Fist so much more dangerous if you can master nature transformation on top of what you already know." I can see Hanabi turning her head around slightly to look at me from the corner of my eye as I said this. "Just imagine if you are able to cloak yourself in fire or lightning while jabbing at your opponents with your Gentle Fist. The Fourth Raikage uses a similar technique, doesn't he? I heard from Minato-shishou that he enhances his taijutsu with some sort of lightning armour. You should try and see if you can do something similar in your free time. You will be one hell of an opponent to take down if you can somehow manage it."

"That's…" Hanabi trailed off as she tried to imagine what I just said. "Actually kind of cool. I will be the first Hyuga in history to combine shape and nature transformation into our clan's taijutsu style if I somehow pulled it off."

"If anyone can do it, it's probably you." I said off-handedly. "You are no Neji, but you are a genius too."

"Awww, I didn't know you had so much confidence in me." Hanabi cooed annoyingly as she starts to poke my cheek with a single finger. I pushed the offending appendage away from my face. She's doing this just to annoy me and it's working.

Hanabi gave a light laugh and hummed a tune under her breath. I merely closed my eyes and listened. This is probably the most relaxing period of our shinobi career until we became chunin. Being chunin will mean that all the responsibilities of being a shinobi will start to set in and time will likely pass by in the blink of an eye. If some part of canon still holds true, then there would most likely be a world war in a few years' time that we will all have to participate. A war that I no longer know the outcome of since so many things had changed. People that I personally know might die. People that I had grown to care for might die.

I idly reached for the pendant that I always wore around my neck and stare at what is supposed to be my clan's symbol. I had always wondered if there is something unusual about this pendant that I did not know about, but so far, I didn't find anything out of the ordinary with it. To my knowledge, this is just an ordinary pendant that happens to bore the symbol of the clan that I originated from.

"You always bring that pendant wherever you go. Who gave it to you?"

"My mother. I kind of just took it from her before I left my village and met you. You see the symbol here?" I pointed to the snowflake-looking symbol etched on the pendant with my finger. "According to my father, this is the symbol of the Yuki clan."

"You know." My thoughts were interrupted as Hanabi began to speak. "Sometimes I think I know you very well, but there are times when I feel that I don't know you at all." Hanabi whispered as her eyes remained closed and her head still on my shoulder.

"People call me a man of mystery." I answered sarcastically. "What else do you want to know about me anyway? You are probably the person in the whole village that knows me best."

Hanabi remained silent for a short while before speaking.

"Your past. You never talked much about your past, especially about your father. I don't know much about you before I met you."

My mind drifted back temporarily to my mother. Her visage is getting blurrier in my mind with each passing day since I don't have a picture or a drawing of her to remind myself of how she looked like. The only thing I have to remind me of her is her pendant, the pendant that brought about that tragedy. I don't want to think about that tragedy. I don't want to think about my father.

It hurts just to think about what he did. Both the good and bad things. How he cared for me and Mum and how he tried to kill us. Even till now, I still don't understand what had happened.

I didn't realise it until Obito-sensei conducted some personal training with each of us individually. He pointed out during one of those individual sessions I had with him that I tend to hold back on using my Ice Release, even when I am against someone who is way above my league, choosing to fall back on my repertoire of water jutsus instead. He called me stupid for not utilising my kekkei genkai more often, which I agreed.

There's still a good reason for what I did though. It's mainly due to how I managed to call upon the powers of ice in the first place.

Even before I reached Konoha, I found out that I have to recall the feelings of how I awakened my kekkei genkai whenever I want to use it. Remember how I awakened it? It was after experiencing the betrayal, the sadness, the guilt, the rage, and a whole list of other negative emotions that I won't go into detail. It is not a pleasant experience. I guessed that over time, I had learnt to subconsciously refrain from calling upon the powers I have over ice, only calling it when I truly need it. I didn't get my psych checked by a Yamanaka, but it is probably a self-defence mechanism that my mind had erected to protect me from further mental trauma.

On hindsight, that is probably another reason why I tend to throw myself into training without even me realising it. It is a good way to not think too much about my past. It helps to distract myself from thinking about that fateful day. Hanabi's constant chattering and pestering is also another way to distract me and she is always here with me. I'm glad that she stuck by me for as long as she did, even if I have never told her how appreciative I am of her for being my closest friend in this village.

"It's…It's fine if you don't want to talk about it!" Hanabi quickly stood up and waved her hands wildly when I took a little too long to ponder about her words. "I know that it is probably an uncomfortable topic for you and I don't want to force you or anything! It's just that…" Hanabi fumbled with her words as she tried to get her point across without offending me, much to my secret amusement. Hanabi getting flustered is a very entertaining thing to watch. "If… If there is someone you want to talk to about your father… erm… there's me?" She winced as said sheepishly, her voice getting softer and softer towards the end.

"The reason why I don't talk about my past, especially about my father, is because he did something unforgivable. My past isn't pretty, Hanabi. It is one that is soaked in blood. People's opinion of me will change if they ever knew about it. I may act like I don't care about the opinions about others, but I do care, to a certain extent. It's impossible to totally disregard the opinion of others, especially when you had started to care for them. Maybe one day I will tell you about it when I'm ready." I said as I turned my gaze back to the small trees that are swaying slightly to the breeze. "Maybe."

Hanabi sat back down beside me as she idly played with a lock of her hair with her fingers, a sign of her nervousness.

"I'm fine, really. No need to feel bad for bringing this topic up."

A Hyuga kid around me and Hanabi's age happened to walk past at this very moment. He is one of those snobbish and stuck-up assholes from the main house and he took every opportunity to take a jab at me since I am not from the clan.

"Flirting with Hanabi again, ice boy? I still don't see what Hiashi-sama sees in you, all you do is to leech off our clan."

"Morning to you too, Yoshida-san." I replied neutrally. There's no point in engaging in trash talk with someone like him. All I have to do is to ignore him Kakashi-style and he will be on his way soon enough. There's nothing notable about Yoshida other than the fact that his father, Hyuga Kida, was also a candidate to the position of clan head alongside Hiashi. I had heard that there were some unpleasant things that happened when Hiashi's succession to the position of clan head was first confirmed back in the days, but no one really spoke about it. All I know is that Hyuga Kida wasn't very pleased with the arrangement.

"Get lost, Yoshida." Hanabi said venomously. "You are disturbing the peace here."

Hanabi really isn't giving him any face. Yoshida is someone who had somehow successfully put himself high up in Hanabi's shit list and she is not afraid to let him know about it.

"One day, Hanabi, you will see that I am right and you are wrong. An outsider like him will never be accepted into the clan, or the village. No one here truly trust him with anything."

"Get. Lost."

Wow, what did Yoshida do to earn such a treatment from Hanabi?

Yoshida walked away from us without much fanfare. The moment he is out of sight, I elbowed Hanabi gently.

"Just what did he do to earn your ire?"

"He's a prick, that's what. He's a traditionalist like his father, the type that expects woman to comply with everything a man says and that the man should handle everything." Hanabi bit out with a scowl on her face. "He never acknowledged any of the women in our clan by their efforts even when I can easily beat him into the ground with my own skills. He even had the gall to ask his father to go to Otou-sama to ask for my hand in marriage, and I quote his father, 'because she has strong Hyuga blood flowing through her veins and she will produce strong heirs for Yoshida'." Hanabi said in a mocking voice. "Hah! Like I will ever go to the freak willingly! I will sooner end him myself then let him come near me, much less let him touch me or to even bear his children. Disgusting."

I placed a comforting hand on Hanabi's shoulder. The world of the Elemental Nations is largely made up of heavily patriarchal societies, and people with similar thinkings to Yoshida's is commonplace. It is getting better, but the improvement is still small. The world will probably need another decade or two before women can start to stand on equal ground as men in this world without getting prejudiced simply because they are born a woman.

This world had made advanced progress in some ways, but also severely lacking in many others.

"Don't worry too much about it, your father won't want you to marry to such a man either."

"I just hope that is the case." Hanabi said as she released a sigh. "We Hyugas tend to marry within the clan for a reason. I'm not sure if you know this, but there are always complications if someone from the clan marry an outsider, especially if the outsider is a female. The pregnancy that resulted from the marriage often results in a miscarriage simply because our chakra is so potent that most outsiders won't be able to sustain the life of even a half-blood Hyuga foetus in their womb. We are not even talking about the problems of the thinning of our bloodline here. If the outsider is a male, then they have to agree to marry into our clan to prevent our secrets from leaking out and even then, it is not a safe guarantee that the man isn't a sleeper agent to steal our clan's secrets. The Uchihas face the same problems as well. It is just not worth the trouble to have our clansmen marry outside the clan. In our clan, Yoshida is one of the few boys my age and he is the only one from the main house. It is very likely that either Nee-san or I will be forced to marry him one day."

I took in Hanabi's words seriously and I felt a sense of simmering rage at the thought of Hanabi being married off to that waste of space. Yoshida is not someone who respect others and he will definitely mistreat Hanabi should he ever somehow get his hands on her.

"I can always stage a kidnapping on your wedding day if you ever find yourself engaged to him." I joked to cheer her up. "No one will know."

Hanabi giggled.

"I wonder what Otou-sama's face will look like when he sees me getting kidnapped again?"

"I think he will support us silently. Maybe he will even help us discreetly without anyone else knowing. Neji will probably help too together with Hinata."

"And then we pin the blame on… Who should we frame? Kumo? For giving us so much trouble?"

"And we pin the blame on Kumo so that we can get away scot-free." I nodded sagely.

"What if we somehow create another world war from this?"

I paused in my thoughts. Technically speaking, it is not impossible for that scenario to happen.

"Then we will probably get our names etched into the history books for being the instigators to the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Shinobis will know our name for generations as the people who started a war so that you can escape an arranged marriage, and if that doesn't point out how much of a dick Yoshida is, I don't know what will."

Hanabi laughed even louder and I smiled. I wonder how many more of such carefree days will we have before the shit from canon starts to hit the fan? I had wanted my freedom and there was a very long period of time when I just wanted to escape the village at any chance I got, even at the risk of being marked as a missing nin.

However, the botched-up mission that made me ran into the Kiri nins was a rude awakening. The fact that they kidnapped me for my bloodline made me realised that there's no such thing as true freedom in the Elemental Nations. Freedom always comes at a price, especially so for a shinobi. Once you became a shinobi, you never stopped being a shinobi. You will get dragged into shinobi affairs no matter how much you try to distance yourself from it. The only shinobis who achieved freedom are either missing nins, who often died in less than half a year after deserting their villages, or dead shinobis. Even S rank missing nins who lived a long life like Kakuzu have to live a life on the run from bounty hunters on a regular basis since everyone is out for the bounty on his head. It was probably one reason why he joined the Akatsuki. No matter what, humans are social creatures and there is strength in numbers. The life of a missing nin isn't true freedom either.

I only reached that realisation a few days ago after hearing the talk Kushina-shishou gave me and I pondered long and hard about my circumstances. Her words made me realised that the moment I had decided to help Hanabi many years ago, I had sealed my fate to walk on the path of a shinobi for the rest of my life.

In all honesty, Kushina-shishou was right. My fate could have been worse. I could have been killed by Yagura's extremists or any other random shinobi that I had the unfortunate luck to cross paths with. I could have been whisked away to a more brutal shinobi village than Konoha. At least Konoha is a shinobi village that I have an idea on what I can possibly expect from it, thanks to my prior knowledge and to an extent, I know who I can trust in Konoha based on what I had read from the manga.

Me being stuck in Konoha is already a fact fixed in stone. Like what Kushina-shishou said, if I cannot change my circumstances, then the only thing I can do is to start changing my mindset. I need to focus on what I have now instead of wallowing in what I had lost in the past. What happened to Dad and Mum is an unfortunate tragedy, but I need to start to learn how to face it, not escape from it. It is embarrassing that it took me eight years and the experience of two lifetimes to learn this lesson, but at least I learnt.

It's time I stop running away from my problems.

* * *

**AN: By all means this chapter was supposed to be the start of the Chunin Exam Arc, but I realised that the pace would have been too rushed. I kept rereading this story whenever I am free (mostly on the train whenever I am travelling) and I felt that I had kind of screwed up somewhere in the fourth or fifth chapter. I had kind of missed out on the character development. There could have been so much more. There is a whole new world out there for this fic and I kind of threw the chances away.**

**Oh well, no point in crying over spilt milk.**

**Finding out what went wrong was the main reason why I took so long to get this chapter out. I already had most of it out weeks ago but I wanted to 'fix' the mistakes I spotted I made in the previous chapters (if possible) in this chapter. I think this chapter is probably the best I could manage at my current level.**

**On another note, there is another plot bunny regarding WOTI that has been jumping around furiously in my head. I kept thinking 'what if Haku and Hanabi never managed to leave the Land of Water and got themselves picked up by Zabuza instead?' I had gotten out some chapters for that idea already, but I'm not sure if you guys would like to read it. If I publish that fic, it will also be a reincarnation fic set in an AU verse of Naruto. Although, to spice things up, I will change the settings of the AU a little different from WOTI, and Haku's behaviour in that alternate fic will be different from those in WOTI due to the difference in the circumstances he found himself in. What do you guys think? If the response is good enough, I will consider publishing that fic as well. **

**My main concern is that it will be taxing trying to update both fics, and I am afraid that having similar ocs in two different, yet similar fics might have some adverse effects. But if many of you want to read it, then I will try to make that story a good one as well.**

**Thanks for supporting me and my works thus far. Special mention to the readers who are fans of my FT fic, TAOFT, if any of them are here. I am working on the latest chapter, I swear. My exams are ending in a few days, have patience. I will try to get it out asap, provided that I am satisfied with the quality of it. I don't like giving half-baked work.**

**Feel free to let me know what your thoughts are, can be anything relating to my works. Just remember to be polite though. We writers are humans with feelings too. **

**Hope you enjoyed reading my works.**


	9. Chapter 9- Break

Chunin Exam Arc

"What a drag. You guys are here too?" Shikamaru drawled as he sat up a little from where he is resting on the floor in the crowded classroom where every single participant is gathered. "If you guys are here then there's no point in competing. The three of you are too damn strong and troublesome to take down."

Typical Shikamaru.

"Don't sell yourself short. Who knows?" I replied with a grin that definitely unsettled the Nara boy from how he is twitching. "Maybe you will be the first among us to make chunin."

"_Shikamaru_ a chunin before us? Hah!" Ino said with a scoff as she twisted her head to a side with her arms crossed. "Hell will freeze over before that will happen."

"And if he does become chunin after this exam?" I egged on, trying to milk out some benefit from my prior knowledge. It's not everyday you can bet on something that you know for certain is very likely to happen. This is _Shikamaru_ we are talking about after all. It is more of a drag for him to retake the exams. Knowing him, he will do just enough to get himself to pass so that he can save himself the trouble from retaking the exams again.

"Won't happen." Ino brushed me off dismissively with a wave of her hand. "If it does, I will give you the list of poisons you have been asking for, free of charge."

"Deal." I agreed immediately.

I've been eyeing those extremely lethal poisons her clan is known for concocting for some time now, but it is just so hard to get my hands on them due to how difficult it is to even make a vial of it. To top it off, there is also a long queue for it due to the huge demand from many of Konoha's shinobis and it is expensive too. I could ask Hiashi for some money to buy the poisons, but I am technically a legal adult in the eyes of shinobi and I do have a source of income from the stream of missions I had been on since I got my forehead protector. I don't want to leech off from the Hyuga clan more than I need to. I hate feeling indebted to anyone, a habit I retained from my past life. I want to buy my things with my own money when possible.

I have always liked the feeling of being independent in both my lives.

"Why would you want those poisons for anyway?" Choji asked as he munched on his chips. He is still a little skittish around me, but he does not visibly shrink in fright whenever I got too close. I had no idea that his fear of me would last so long.

"Coat my senbons with it. There will be times where I need senbons more than just the piercing powers it has."

"Remind me to not get on your bad side." Shikamaru yawned before lying lazily down on the floor once more to nap. Team 10 had chosen to lounge about at a quiet corner of the classroom, no doubt to let their lazy team mate have a place to sleep.

"And if you lose, you will be helping me to man the shop for a month." Ino declared. "I need a break from manning the shop."

"Sure." I replied with confidence. "I don't plan on losing though."

The both of us looked at Shikamaru, who suddenly became very aware of our gaze on him.

"Don't you _dare_ make me lose, Shikamaru." Ino said in a threatening tone. "I will make your life hell otherwise."

"If you don't get yourself a promotion by the end of the exams, think about all the nagging from your mother that you will get." I supplied Shikamaru with another perspective in a nonchalant manner. I can already see the gears in his head starting to turn. "And how troublesome it will be to retake the entire exam again."

Shikamaru shuddered at that comment, which earned me a scowl from Ino.

"Hey, that's dirty."

"You have the unfair advantage here." I retorted. "You can always purposely fail the team to win."

"Like hell I'm doing that! I want to get promoted too!"

"Don't get me involved with that stupid bet of yours." Shikamaru muttered before closing his eyes. "I don't want to have anything to do with whatever troublesome things you two are planning."

"Too late. Or you can start on thinking the ways you can win this exam so that I can get my poisons now."

Shikamaru had decided that now is the best time for him to close his eyes and fall asleep, to no one's surprise.

"Which other teams from Konoha you guys think will be participating too?" Ino asked as she surveyed the classrooms for any familiar faces.

"Nee-san said that her team will be competing." Hanabi answered as she leaned against the wall. "So that makes it at least three teams from our class. Neji nii-san's team is competing too."

"Naruto's team is definitely competing as well. No way Kakashi-sensei will let his team remain on the sidelines when he knows Obito-sensei are sending us in. They have a rivalry of sorts, although not as bad as Gai-sensei's rivalry with him. You should see them going at it as 'Eternal Rivals'."

"I heard about the legends." Ino snickered as she imagined the competition between the shinobi in a green jumpsuit and the one with a mask. "Although I wish I can see it for myself."

"I saw one of those competitions before." Sai mused as he starts to sketch on his sketchbook. "I believed they were trying to see who can win a race, but they can only use one hand to move around."

Ino's jaws dropped.

"_How_ is that possible?"

"They did it. Kakashi-sensei was the winner." Sai stated in a factual manner, like how the sky is blue and the grass is green. He turned his sketchbook around for us to see. "It looked something like that."

It was a drawing of the Eternal Rivals running a race through the marketplace by hopping in a handstand position with only a single hand. How they even made 20 metres in that position is probably something that I will never understand.

"Why do I suddenly have the feeling that I'm glad we have Asuma as our sensei." Ino questioned no one in particular as she took a good look at what Sai drew. "He's lazy, boring, but at least he's not crazy."

"Damn, you guys are here for the exams too? I know about Team 13 participating, but I didn't know the three of you will be taking part as well."

The six of us turned to the source of the voice and spotted Team 8 walking towards us. Hinata walked up to stand beside me and Hanabi as the two sisters began to chat straightaway. I greeted Shino and Kiba with a slight nod of my head, which they returned.

I tuned out the subsequent chattering as I observed our competition. I kept my eyes open and my ears sharp as I search for my target, a particular silver-haired spy with glasses. I don't want that slimy bastard to be anywhere near us if possible.

Problem is, I don't see him anywhere. Should I be happy that he isn't here, or should I be worried that he is not here? Maybe Orochimaru assigned him elsewhere to do another job? It is possible. However, I should still be on the lookout in case he does appear in the exams. Kabuto is a dangerous man.

Other than that, things are mostly the same from what little I can remember about canon. I spotted the sand siblings, the team from Oto, even Uzumaki Karin who is still currently a genin of Kusa.

The other major change that had me worried is the presence of a sizable number of genins from Kumo. I'm pretty sure Kumo wasn't present for the exams in canon. Furthermore, the Hyuga incident had soured the relationship between the two villages significantly, as can be seen by the not-so-discreet glares the Kumo genins sent towards us occasionally. I'm surprised that the Hokage even allowed Kumo to be here in the first place.

Something big is going on.

Their presence is also why I'm constantly making sure that I am within five feet of Hanabi. She was their target and definitely still is one. The rest of Team 8 are standing protectively around Hinata too.

"I can't believe those Kumo bastards have the nerve to be here after what they did." Kiba growled as Akamaru woofed in agreement. Inuzukas are well-known for their pack mentality and they will protect anyone they deemed as part of their pack. Their fierce protectiveness is what made people see them as reliable comrades and extremely loyal allies to have once you got on their good side.

Kiba sees Hinata and Shino as part of his pack, and there's no doubt that he will risk his life for them without hesitation. The selfless way in which he protects others is what I admire about him the most.

"Still, we should ignore them for now. Why? If they are here, it means that the Hokage himself had permitted it and we shouldn't do anything that paints Konoha in a bad light. Keep in mind that our village is the host of this exam, Kiba. There must be a reason for Hokage-sama to be doing this. All we can do now is to keep an eye out for them and protect Hinata and Hanabi. There are probably ANBU stationed around us to keep an eye out for Kumo given our villages' history."

What Shino said is rational and logical, but I'm not leaving Hanabi's safety up to chance. Konoha had failed Hanabi once. If it happened once, there's always a chance that it can happen again.

Neji's team entered the classroom at that moment and he spotted our group almost instantly. He walked towards us without hesitation, Lee and Tenten trailing behind.

Neji said nothing as he stood by our side, the only indication he gave about acknowledging our presence is a subtle nod of his head. Lee and Tenten weren't so quiet though.

"Whoa, you two must be Neji's cousins. This is our first meeting, right? Nice to meet you! I am Tenten, Neji's team mate!"

"Yosh! I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast! I look forward to-"

"Cut it out, Lee." Neji said irritably with his arms already crossed. "Don't overwhelm them."

"Neji! We are just trying to be nice!"

"Ignore Neji nii-san, he's been that way for as long as I could remember." Hanabi said as she started a conversation with Tenten. "He's even more boring than Haku."

Neji gave a silent scowl, much to our amusement.

"I think I like you already." Tenten said with a huge grin on her face. "Why can't I have you as my team mate instead?"

I decided to tune out their entire conversation. Hanabi is in her gossip mode and sometimes I am better off not knowing what she is gossiping about. There are some things that you simply cannot unhear once you heard it.

"Wow, what's this?"

That distinctive voice of the blonde knucklehead got everyone's heads in our group turning towards the door. Team 7 had finally made their entrance.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino waved happily at the sight of her eye candy. The Ino of this world does not fangirl over Sasuke as much as her canon counterpart did, but that doesn't stop her from admiring any boys that is aesthetically pleasing on the eye. She had no qualms sharing with anyone who she thinks is hot, and she did it rather publicly too.

Sakura, on the other hand, have no romantic interest in Sasuke at all. Which kind of surprised me.

"You guys are really taking this stupid test too?" Shikamaru grumbled as he finally decided that sleeping here is a lost cause. Took him long enough to figure it out.

"Oh! The idiot trio!" Naruto pointed a finger at Team 10 as she exclaimed her thoughts out loud, earning a bulging vein on each of their forehead.

"Don't call us that!"

"Looks like everyone is assembled. All 12 of this year's rookie genin are taking the exams! How far do you think we will get? Eh, Sasuke?"

"Don't get too confident, Kiba." Sasuke said with a smirk.

I let myself fade into the background as the hormonal boys began to trash-talk with each other. Kabuto still hasn't made an appearance and it looks like he won't be appearing at all. The time is almost up and the exams will be starting any moment now. If Kabuto wants to be here, he would already be here.

Wait a minute. In canon, Orochimaru did pose himself as a genin, right? Did Orochimaru somehow managed to sneak himself in and is right among us as we speak?

"…Yeah, from what I heard even Oto is joining even if they are a small village just created last year. There, see? The ones with the weird headbands and bandages over there?"

"You should tone down your volume, Kiba. Why? You are too loud and everyone can hear us."

"Oops. Sorry not sorry." Kiba shrugged.

That's one way to paint a target on your back, stupid mutt.

I can see movements that are heading towards us out of the peripheral of my eye. Without a doubt, their target is Kiba. Somehow, it seems like no one else from my group had spotted them yet.

Should I help Kiba out?

My default reaction is a 'no', but I stopped short when I remembered that I only just recently resolved to stop running away from my problems and accept the fact that I am now a shinobi of Konoha. Kiba may be brash and stupid, but everyone knows that he is a loyal friend to those that earned his trust.

I don't have Kiba's full trust yet. Heck, most of the Konoha 12, or maybe I should say Konoha 15 due to the additional presence of my team, don't fully trust me. They keep me away at an arm's length.

Sure, I had gotten along with most of the rookies nicely enough during our sessions together as a study group. But none of them are overly close to me with the exception of Naruto and the Hyuga siblings. Sai had somewhat integrated himself in after we formed a team. Yes, the other rookies can still bring themselves to make small talk with me and crack a joke or two, but they never went beyond that. No matter how they tried to hide it, the subtle fear is always there in their eyes even when the incident with Tai had passed so many years ago. It got a lot better over the years, but I still haven't done anything since then to earn the full trust of anyone else from the Konoha 15.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of their mind, I am still the aloof, scary, Haku that nearly murdered his classmates simply because he is able to.

I can still hear Minato-shishou's words ringing in my head, that '_trust is a two-way street'_. I can still remember Kushina-shishou telling me to change my mindset and attitude. To receive something, sometimes you must first be prepared to give something equivalent in return.

To be honest, trying to keep myself detached from everyone save a few has been slowly tiring me out for the past eight years. I am not the most sociable person, but it is not a nice feeling walking among your peers with the unsaid mistrust hanging in the air like a veil.

How did canon Naruto endure this his entire life? I did not get a treatment as bad as him but there's no denying that it is suffocating trying to endure everything alone. Many Konoha shinobis had known by now that I was from Kiri. I know there are many who were fine with my heritage, but I also know that there are just as many shinobis that sees me as nothing but an outsider, and they made their distrust in me blatantly obvious with their actions. You can tell from how they tensed and looked at you when you walk around the village completing missions. The tone that they use to speak to you is a dead giveaway too. The chunin handing out missions in the Hokage office definitely treated me like I'm some sort of disease until Obito-sensei stepped in.

I don't care about what the public thinks about me, but I want to at least get my peers to accept me. Despite the difference from canon, I know what each of my peers will grow to be and what kind of persons they will most likely be. I know that I can trust them, so trying to be friends with them will be a good start for me since I know they are unlikely to betray whatever trust I gave them.

I want to have a fresh start, and maybe I should start by learning how to give.

* * *

Dosu let a small smirk appeared on his heavily bandaged face as he silently dashed towards the unaware group of Konoha pansies. The Hidden Sound is a minor village? He will show them who's the top dog here, that's what they deserve for calling them leftovers. That Inuzuka mutt will have no idea what hit him.

He stretched his right arm outwards and he can already visualise the damage he will inflict on the Inuzuka with his Resonating Echo Speaker. He can see Zaku and Kin at his side not far from where he is. With the three of them together, he is confident that even if the entire group of Konoha genins picked a fight with them, none of those greenhorns will win.

They are the ones who were handpicked by Orochimaru-sama himself out of the hundreds of genins in their village. They are the best of the best.

They will not fail.

His fingers almost touched the back of the Inuzuka and Dosu was on the brink of activating the equipment on his arm when it happened.

A blur stepped in and caught his right arm with a single hand before quickly flinging him away with a throw. A sharp stab of pain shot through his entire arm and Dosu didn't even have the time to register what was going on before a foot was shoved into his gut and kicked him far away with great force. He heard another two thumps, and it was then that he realised that his team mates had met the same fate as him. The three of them had landed in a heap in the middle of the classroom. The noisy classroom had gone deathly silent and the atmosphere is now so tense that it looks like a war could happen here. Many of the genins had instinctively reached for their weapons, some of them had even drew them out.

Dosu got back up on his feet and realised that his arms were riddled with senbons, the same goes for Kin and Zaku. Someone had just managed to block off their combined sneak attack without any effort.

WHO?! Just _who_ in this room possesses such skill?!

"We would appreciate if you could keep your hands to yourself." A cool voice cut through the room as a Konoha genin stood in front of the Inuzuka in a relaxed manner while twirling a senbon between his fingers. "The exams had not officially started yet."

This guy, or is it a girl? Dosu can't really tell with this person's androgynous looks, so he will go along with the assumption that this genin is a he for now. This person is definitely the one who had just singlehandedly stopped them.

This genin is dangerous. There's no way he is a genin at that level of speed.

The group of Konoha genins are also now on guard after what had just happened. The Hyugas and Uchiha Sasuke had their dojutsus activated, the Nara's shadows are shifting slightly, the Yamanaka's hands are already in a hand seal. There is also a suspiciously faint buzzing sound and many of the other Konoha genins had their weapons drawn out or had taken a battle-ready stance.

"Geez, Haku. What happened to laying low?" One of the Hyuga girl, one from the main house given the lack of a seal on her forehead, put her hands on her hips in a reprimanding manner as she chided the senbon user.

Dosu can't help but to mentally commend her for her quick thinking. With those few casual words, she had defused the tension in the room by a fair bit.

So that guy's name is Haku. Still can't tell that person's gender by the name though. What kind of parents will name their kid '_white' _of all things?

"Can't help it, Hanabi. I really wanted to test my new senbons. I wasn't disappointed."

"That was so COOL!" A blonde female with whisker markings on her cheek cheered out loud, uncaring about the stares on her.

"Hn."

"Yosh! Haku-san, I request that we battle during the exams! To pit ourselves in a most youthful battle ever! If I lose, I will do a hundred-"

"Lee. Have you forgotten what Gai-sensei just told you?"

"Tenten's right, Lee. Gai-sensei wouldn't be happy that you ignored his words twice. So save me the trouble and behave."

"You guys are troublesome. Why are we still here with you guys?"

"I apologise on my team mate's behalf if any of his words offended you, shinobis of Oto." The Aburame said as he walked a few steps to stand in front of his group and face the Oto team. "He is an idiot, so don't take his words to heart."

"I think I had come up with nicknames for the three Oto-"

"Shut up, Sai." The senbon user and the same Hyuga girl from before said in unison. "Not now."

"Wow. They are in perfect sync." The Haruno said in mild wonder with an impressed look on her face.

"Please, forehead. They might as well be married to each other by now. Those two are always together."

The other shinobis in the room had slowly returned to going about their own business and the noise level in the room began to rise once more, although everyone is still keeping an eye out for everyone else that isn't an ally. Dosu plucked out the senbons from his arm and took a closer look at the needles. Thankfully, it doesn't seem like it was coated with anything.

The three of them had gotten off lightly. That attack was just a warning from the senbon user to get them to back off. It was a clear signal to them that if he so wished to, he could have easily killed all three of them without them being able to do anything.

As much as he hates to admit it, Dosu and his team will have to heed the warning.

In this cruel world, might is right.

* * *

Hanabi bit the inside of her cheek as she finally finished copying the answers for the first stage of the exam with her byakugan. The exam isn't too difficult once you figured out exactly what is going on, but not every shinobi's skillset is adept at intelligence gathering. Hanabi considered herself lucky that she is born with a dojutsu that is suited for this very purpose, she would be at a loss otherwise.

There's still a big problem. Even if she managed to ace her test, Sai's and Haku's test papers are probably still blank. Sai can usually gather information well enough without being seen, but the manifestations of his ink creations will be too obvious here where the examiners are watching them like hawks. There's no way he can draw out his rats or snakes without getting caught. Haku's ability is also not suited for information gathering while sitting still under the wary gaze of hostile shinobis.

Hanabi needs to copy her answers onto Haku's and Sai's test papers somehow.

A sudden and brief chill caught her attention and to her surprise, a small ice mirror smaller than the size of her palm formed on the wooden table where her test paper is sitting on. Hanabi quickly used her arms to hide the mirror inconspicuously as she continues to pretend doing the test while hunching over it as if she is concentrating hard on solving the questions. The small ice mirror has to be Haku's work, but what is he planning?

To her surprise, the mirror is divided into three equal sections and not only can she see her own reflection in one section, but Haku's and Sai's as well in the other two. Haku merely blinked his eyes while Sai gave that creepy smile of his.

So that's how Haku is planning to allow them to communicate to each other secretly. Smart.

Hanabi saw Haku's reflection mouthed 'one', and she knows that he is asking for the answer to the first question. Still, Hanabi has no idea how she is going to pass her answers through the mirror. Mouthing the answers word by word is too obvious and slow, and she doesn't have any way to let her team mates catch a glimpse of her paper using the small mirror without alerting the examiners. They are stationed a little too close to her for comfort.

Hanabi gave a very subtle shake of her head to convey the sense of impossibility to Haku's demand and saw Haku furrowing his brows.

Haku suddenly have an expression of realisation flashing across his face and he mouthed the word 'wind'. Hanabi suddenly felt a little apprehensive, what is Haku planning?

Her question was answered just a second later as a huge gust of wind suddenly exploded in the room and everyone's papers was flying into the air thanks to the sudden vortex. Hanabi only just managed to pin her test paper down onto her table before it flew off. The ice mirror next to her suddenly expanded briefly and Haku's hand emerged in the blink of an eye, took her test paper, and swap it with his before the ice mirror shrank back to its original size. The whole process only took about two seconds.

_Oh. Near instantaneous travel using ice mirrors._

Hanabi knew that Haku also have Wind-natured chakra along with Water-natured chakra, his Ice Release needs both natures to be utilised simultaneously as a kekkei genkai. However, Haku rarely uses Wind-based techniques as they are a lot harder to control and use, and Haku is a natural talent in Water techniques but not in Wind-based ones. Thus, his preference for Water based techniques. The sudden gust of wind had to be a Wind jutsu from Haku.

Hanabi took up her pencil again to rewrite the answers on the blank piece of test paper amidst Ibiki's shouting and threats at the culprit behind the disruption, promising to find and kick him or her out of the exam. Hanabi simply ignored it as she concentrated on the issue at hand. She had memorised most of the answers when she copied them the first time just in case she needs to write them down to pass it on to her team mates. They still need to ensure Sai at least had a few questions answered on his paper, but they will get to that later. Haku definitely have no qualms doing something like that again if it means being able to pass on their answers to Sai. The Wind jutsu won't work a second time against the examiners and Ibiki, so what will Haku do next? Make it rain inside the room?

Hanabi wished there is another way to finish this segment of the exam without needing her to copy the answers to the test _thrice_ though, it's too much effort.

* * *

"I still can't believe you did that, girly-kun. A little warning would have been appreciated."

"We passed, didn't we? And I did warn you."

"Simply mouthing the word 'rain' is not enough for me to guess that you will be activating the sprinklers in the room at the next second. Now we have to take the second part of the exams _dripping wet_."

Haku raised a hand to draw out the water clinging onto their clothes and body into a floating sphere of water before throwing it down onto the ground, leaving the entire team dry and fresh.

"There, done."

"You should have done it earlier, girly-kun."

"It would have been suspicious if we were the only dry ones among the remaining participants, that's why I waited until we entered the Forest of Death to dry you guys off. It's only a little water, don't get too bothered by it."

A little water. Right. The entire room nearly flooded with the volume of water the sprinklers sprayed out. Haku must have used his control over water to increase the rate at which the water burst out from the sprinklers to create a better distraction.

"So, any idea on how we are going to get our second scroll?"

"For now, we head towards the direction of the tower until we found ourselves a target. Your ink birds picked up anything yet? Hanabi, your byakugan?"

"None for now, but we will find a suitable target soon enough."

"What Sai said."

Sai travelled with his team mates in comfortable silence for about fifteen minutes, with Hanabi taking point and checking their surroundings with her byakugan every now and then.

"Found a team. They are from Kusa. I see no traps and they are taking a break. Ambush?"

"Definitely."

"I agree with girly-kun."

* * *

"Easy. Too easy." Hanabi said smugly as we made our way to the tower which would be the end point for the second stage of the exams.

"Don't get overconfident. We are not at the tower yet. Keep your guard up."

"Hakuuuuu. Don't be a spoilsport!"

"Crackers-chan. There's no need to flirt with girly-kun right in front of me. Even I can tell that-"

A swipe from Hanabi cut off whatever Sai tried to say. I should start to think of creating a jutsu to filter out the shenanigans of Team 13 for the sake of my sanity.

The exams weren't too hard for our team so far. What was the most worrying was that I did not see Kabuto anywhere in the exams during the first stage. Where is he? Is he still a spy for Orochimaru? And if so, what changed such that he didn't appear at all in the first stage of the exams?

The sudden weight of an ominous chakra had us froze in our tracks and I quickly shifted myself to guard Hanabi's and Sai's backs. The both of them did the same as how we are trained during our training sessions. Our breathing quickened from the sheer pressure of the chakra and I can see Hanabi trying very hard to control herself not to freak out. _What is this_?!

"Hanabi. Calm down. Check our surroundings."

Hanabi recovered quickly upon my words and activated her byakugan.

"It's Naruto's team! They are facing a kunoichi from Kusa!"

Stupid canon plot. I guess some things do remain the same after all.

"What else are they doing?"

"The kunoichi… she's… there's no way she is a genin. Her taijutsu is even better than sensei's, she… snakes? She uses _snakes_?! I thought that the only known people to use snakes-"

"Are Orochimaru of the Sannin and Mitarashi Anko, the proctor of the second exam." Sai replied calmly, but the beads of sweat on his face says otherwise. "But since that kunoichi is obviously not the proctor as she cannot interfere in the exams, it has to be…"

"Orochimaru." I finished grimly.

There was a muted silence as we digest the severity of the issue.

"Are we… going to help them?" Hanabi whispered out.

I really want to just get out of here together with Hanabi and Sai, but Naruto is the daughter of Minato-shishou and Kushina-shishou, who have been nothing but kind to me despite my shitty personality. Naruto herself has been very accepting of me too. I also cannot rely on what happened in canon, I don't have full confidence that this Team 7 can come out of this alive. I don't know what this Orochimaru wants with Team 7. The entire Uchiha clan is still alive in this world since the massacre didn't happen, there is no need for him to aim for Sasuke specifically. Right now, I have no idea why he is going after them in the first place.

"I'm going." I said as I swallowed audibly. The thought of going up against _Orochimaru _scares me, but I think we can pull this off. We don't need to beat him. "I won't be able to face Minato-shishou and Kushina-shishou otherwise."

"Then I'm going too." Hanabi said resolutely.

"Sorry to crash your date, crackers-chan, girly-kun, but I think the circumstances necessitate that I be the third wheel for this particular date."

"One day, Sai, we need to go get you a _real_ book on how to converse with people. But enough talk. Sai, get your ink birds to the proctor or anyone who might stand a chance against Orochimaru. No one here can beat him. Most of Konoha's shinobis can't beat him. We need reinforcements of the right kind. Get your grandfather in if you have to. He may be in retirement, but he should still have enough political weight to be able to mobilise a small task force quickly if needed."

"I'm on it." Sai responded as he began drawing straightaway. "Anything else? How are we going in to save boobless, duck-ass, and ugly?"

Hanabi audibly groaned at the nicknames Sai gave to Team 7 and her palm met her face. I would have done the same too, but there are more pressing issues at hand.

"What we do best." I replied. "We are a search and rescue team, and we are going to do just that."

* * *

"Kukuku... You will seek me out for power, Sasuke-kun. What I just gave you is a small taste of what you can be."

Sasuke screamed in agony at the pain of having bitten by the Snake Sannin, and Naruto and Sakura could do nothing but stand defensively in front of their team mate.

"Oi! What did you just to do the teme?!"

"Tsk. How noisy."

That was what we saw when we arrived onto the scene. My water needles burst out in a huge volley at Orochimaru's location as Hanabi went to stand defensively in front of Team 7. Sai had drawn up a huge amount of drawings on our way here and they are ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

"Will calling him pedo-san be a good nickname?" Sai asked with a tilt of his head in my direction. "From what I read about a book on people with psychological disorders, the way he acts when he bit Sasuke seems to suggest that he is a pedophile."

Seriously, Sai, you need to learn how to read the situation. Although…

"Actually, yes. That is a very apt nickname." I answered, but not taking my gaze off the legendary Snake Sannin.

Orochimaru chuckled as he looked at us.

"Ah, the hyuga heiress, the legacy of the roots, and the ice-born. My, my, this is my lucky day."

"Do it."

With my command, Hanabi threw down a few smoke bombs and our plan flew into action. Hanabi had been secretly communicating with Team 7 in silence using subtle hand signs, and I hope that they can go along with the plan.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Swarms of Narutos appeared and attempted to dogpile Orochimaru, who simply gave a disinterested glance before swatting them away with a huge burst of wind. Sai released his drawings and they came to life as I sent water needles at Orochimaru at the same time.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?"

Orochimaru got up to us even faster than we can blink and sent Sai flying with a simple kick, but 'Sai' dissolved into an ink clone and disappeared. I took this chance to blast a pressurised stream of water from my mouth that cuts everything in its way in an attempt to bisect Orochimaru, but he bent his body at an unnatural angle and got away unscathed.

I leapt back and put my hands in a tiger seal. Sai had lured Orochimaru where we wanted him to be. Time to get out of here.

"Seal!"

The barrier seals activated and surrounded Orochimaru in a dome. The distraction by Naruto had provided us with ample opportunity for Sai to help me lay down the seals that I have been drawing up as we come here. Not all of his ink drawings were attacking Orochimaru, some of it were laying out the tags that I had drawn up. I had banked on Orochimaru attacking Sai's ink clone first due to how we were positioned away from him. Sai's clone had purposely made it easy and tempting to be taken out first, luring Orochimaru into our trap.

The barrier won't last long. I am not yet good enough in it, but it should be enough for now.

I quickly merged myself with an ice mirror and used it to propel myself at light speed towards where I know the rest had headed. Naruto and Sai had bailed out of here the moment I activated the barrier seals. Hanabi and the rest of Team 7 had also disappeared the moment our plan was put into action.

I had barely made it out of my mirror when a hand suddenly grabbed me and shoved me violently down onto the ground below.

"Kukuku, not bad. I have to admit, I didn't see this coming."

I turned my head and saw that the barrier had already been forcefully broken. Damn, there goes all our hard work.

"You know that none of you can stop me, so you focus on buying time to get everyone away. You have a technique that allows you to travel at a speed that most people cannot keep up, so you stayed behind until everyone retreated since you have the best chance of escaping. Not a bad plan for a search and rescue operation, but it is _me_ that you are facing. I am not most people."

I spat a water bullet which forced Orochimaru to release his hold on me. I leapt back and immediately the temperature us started to drop. I cannot hold back against Orochimaru. I need to try and survive before reinforcements arrived.

A few kunais came shooting out of nowhere and landed near Orochimaru, I saw explosive tags attached to it.

"Oh?"

Orochimaru didn't even appeared fazed as he simply stood there and let the explosion happen right in his face. He walked out of the smoke untouched, looking very amused by what is going on in front of him.

"Haku!"

What is Hanabi doing here?! Why did she come back?!

"Why are you here?!"

"You didn't catch up with us! I'm not leaving you behind with him!"

Sai and the rest of Team 7 reappeared beside me as well. These idiots! Just get out of here already! We will all die at this rate!

"We are not leaving anyone behind!" Naruto proclaimed loudly. "Believe it!"

"I will not be able to live with myself if Haku died for our sake." Sakura added as her chakra swirled ominously. Is that the Haruno's clan jutsu? I have heard of it, but I had never seen it before.

Sasuke is still in pain and is barely able to stand as it is, but he still managed to grunt in agreement.

The shadow of the trees suddenly moved to trap Orochimaru as a huge human boulder came barrelling towards the Snake Sannin. Orochimaru stopped Choji with a single hand and threw him towards us, forcing us to scatter.

Team 10 emerged from the trees as they joined us and I cannot help but groan inwardly. Don't they know how dangerous this man is?!

"Forehead, you alright? And what happened to Sasuke-kun?"

"Orochimaru bit him."

"What a drag. Why am I even here?"

"Stop complaining, Shika. Hurry up and think of a way to get us out of this mess."

Shikamaru knelt down and got into his thinking pose. It only took him about ten seconds before he spoke up again. Surprisingly, Orochimaru actually allowed us time to prepare.

"We need to trap him here so that we can escape. We need to buy time before the proctors realised something is up."

"Oh well, it doesn't matter even if ten more of you join in." Orochimaru said flippantly. "Come, little leaves. Show me what you can do."

"We already sent a request for reinforcements." Sai added as he began to draw. "Let's try our best to survive."

Among the nine of us here, I probably have the strongest offensive power with my kekkei genkai. Shikamaru had realised this too.

"Haku."

"I know." I said as I began to rapidly go through hand seals. "Try to keep up."

Spikes of ice burst out of the ground to impale the Sannin as I quickly turned the entire area into a frozen wasteland. Sai's drawings came to life once more as beasts emerged from his scroll and moved to attack the Sannin. We are keeping our distance from Orochimaru. None of us are able to win against him in close combat. We are safer attacking from afar.

Shikamaru had made full use of the shadows my ice spikes created to extend his own shadow to move to herd Orochimaru away from us. Naruto's clones bombard the Sannin like human torpedoes as Hanabi, Sakura, and Ino threw projectiles at him.

"Ice Release: Ice Dome!"

My ice started to shift and trap Orochimaru in a frozen dome of ice. The ice cracked when Orochimaru punched it, but the second punch from Orochimaru shattered them immediately.

This isn't looking good for us.

Orochimaru simply cackled in that weird laughter of his as he examined a shard of my ice that he had picked up.

"Kukuku, such magnificent power at your age!" Orochimaru laughed madly before turning to face me. "That can't be all. Come, child of ice, show me the power that you used to kill your father."

_What?_

I heard surprised gasps from everyone around me. Even Hanabi is looking at me in shock.

"**_How_**." I gritted out as my chakra come rolling off in waves in response to my shock and anger. "Did you **_know _**about **_THAT_**?"

"You think I wouldn't keep tabs on you considering you are the last known member of your clan and wielder of the true Ice Release? It was cumbersome, but your involvement in the Hyuga affair gave me some leads to track your birthplace down. You didn't cover your tracks well enough. Not that I will expect you to, given your age at that time."

Spears of ice that shot from the ground was the only response from me as I flew in to try and rip Orochimaru to shreds.

"Water Release: Water Beast!"

A huge beast made of water rushed towards Orochimaru as he went through hand seals of his own.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A huge gust of wind blew my water construct apart and sent me flying backwards a far distance before I landed on the ground.

The rest of the rookies weren't idle either, they all moved to attack him the moment I attacked but we all got ourselves thrown around like ragdolls. All of us were strewn across the ground, wheezing for air as we tried to get up.

Damn it! We cannot do anything against him! Nothing works!

"Don't you find it suffocating in here?"

I looked up and saw Orochimaru walking up to me, and I quickly stood up to prepare myself against the Snake Sannin.

"Don't you find that this place is full of lies and hypocrisy?"

"Get to the damn point, Orochimaru."

"I used to love this village too, do you know that?" Orochimaru said as he stopped a few feet away from me, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "But I cannot stand how suffocating it is to be here, how they cannot stand new ideas that could have changed this village for the better, ideas that I spent days, weeks, and months trying to help the village grow better and stronger. I cannot stand how they pushed for deeds to be done in the name of peace. Konoha doesn't welcome change. There's no one here that can understand me, there's no one here that sees the hypocrisy as I did. It frustrates me, so I left." He paused as his slitted yellow eyes stared at me. "I know you feel it too. Like me, you also have no real attachment to this village. Deep down, you know that you don't belong here despite how you try to convince yourself otherwise."

Hanabi suddenly appeared and rushed in to attack Orochimaru. He simply blocked her strikes by deflecting it away by striking at her wrists instead of letting Hanabi's fingers jab him. I joined in as I shot a few ice senbons at him and quickly wrapped my arm around Hanabi before pulling her away from this dangerous man.

"Is she the only reason why you remain here in Konoha? I heard from my informant that you are close to the Hyuga princesses. Well, one of them anyway. What if I kill her?" Orochimaru said nonchalantly as he disgustingly retrieved a sword from his throat. "Will you try to kill me like how you killed your father? Will you continue to stay in Konoha if she is dead? Shall we try it out?"

**"DON'T MENTION HIM IN MY PRESENCE! AND DON'T YOU DARE HURT HANABI!"**

A large burst of chakra was released from me and I flash freeze everything in my sights, turning everything around us into ice and into a state of white in rage, attempting to shut Orochimaru up by freezing him.

"Kukuku, such power. Even if your clan is still around I doubt that any of them have the same potential as you do. Too bad I already have my sights set on the sharingan, it will be interesting to use you as my next vessel. I look forward to the day we meet again, Yuki Haku, and I hope that we will be on the same side the next time we see each other. We are more alike than you realise. How people fear us, how they distrust us, how they see us as nothing but tools due to the potential we show. You will realise it one day, and you will seek me eventually when you realise there's no place for you in Konoha. The Hyuga girl won't keep you here forever. Mark my words."

"Scram."

Orochimaru gave a loud laugh as he faded into the surroundings and even when he disappeared, his laughter still echoed throughout the frozen woods.

"Haku?"

Hanabi's hand found its way to mine, and it is only then that I realised that my entire body is still trembling, both in rage and fear of the Snake Sannin.

_How dare he_ mention the incident with my father without my permission.

"Let's… Let's just go. Let's just finish this stupid exam and go."

Hanabi followed me, but she never said a word.

* * *

Night had fallen and the nine of them had made camp in a hidden clearing in the forest. Hanabi looked worriedly at Haku, who simply chose to sit by the fire and stare at it with a blank look in his eyes. He had barely spoke after their run-in with Orochimaru.

Team 7 and Team 10 had made camp with them as well, but Team 13 is a lot further from them as compared to how the other two teams are camping side by side next to each other. They are already discussing on who to take which shifts throughout the night, but they are not including Team 13 into their discussion. They didn't even ask Team 13 to join them for dinner previously before the sun had set. The only reason the three teams are still together is because there is greater strength in numbers, and no one knows if Orochimaru will come back. The threat of Orochimaru is way more dangerous than Haku.

None of the other two teams can bring themselves to trust Haku after what Orochimaru said.

Haku had killed his father. It has to be the truth, seeing as how Haku had flew off the handle when Orochimaru said it.

Hanabi don't know what to make of this revelation. The Haku she knew, while cold and uncaring towards anyone who is a stranger to him, is not the type to kill in cold blood without reason, much less someone close to him. She cannot bring herself to believe that Haku will kill his own father without a good reason. She knows that Haku loves his mother dearly from the brief mentions he made about her without him realising it, but he never spoke about his father other than telling them that he is already dead. His father must have done something, something that made Haku not want to even speak about him.

What Orochimaru said will explain why Haku turned out the way he did. It explains why he don't trust people easily. She should have seen this earlier. She should have guessed it. The clues were there. He had alluded to it when she asked him about his father shortly before the exams started.

"- we should let them in-"

"Are you crazy?! He killed his father, his family! Who knows what else he-"

"Quiet! Pig! Too loud!"

Hanabi resisted the urge to punch them down into the ground. Can't anybody see that Haku is hurting too?!

Hanabi may be a very talkative person, but even she is at a loss of words ever since Orochimaru left them alone. What else can she say to Haku? That it's fine? Everything is going to be alright?

That would be a bag of lies. If there is anything Haku disliked, it would be lies.

Sai approached her and whispered.

"I think we may need to handle the night shift among the two of us for our team. The other two teams are obviously afraid of girly-kun and he is obviously emotionally compromised right now."

Hanabi nodded in agreement. Haku is not in the best state of mind now. He needs time to recover after having his past wounds so brutally ripped open like that. No wonder he is so secretive about his past. People will judge him if they knew what he did.

Hanabi didn't care. Haku saved her when no one did. He had cared for her even though he can barely fend for himself when they first met, at the expense of his life. He was prepared to throw his life away for her, a complete stranger, just to help bring her home.

There's no way someone like that can bring himself to willingly kill his father. Team 7 and Team 10 needs to realise this.

Haku needs her now more than ever. She is going to stay by his side forever if need be.

The two turned back around to walk back to where Haku is sitting by their campfire, until Ino suddenly ran up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, prompting Hanabi to turn around.

"What?" Hanabi asked with a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"You two can sleep with us for tonight, you know." Ino whispered as she subtly glanced at where Haku is sitting by himself at the other far end of the clearing and cut off from their conversation. "I know you two are close, but he did kill his-"

"Watch your tongue, _Yamanaka_." Hanabi hissed at Ino as she slapped her hand away, her dojutsu activating in response to her anger. "Haku is _not_ that type of person. There's some story that we are missing out here. You will trust the words of a traitor over our comrade? You call yourself a shinobi of Konoha?"

"B-But what Orochimaru said was obviously true!" Choji added as he shivered a little at being a little closer to Haku the moment he walked up to stand behind Ino. "Haku's actions said it all."

"Hanabi's probably right." Shikamaru interrupted as he walked to place himself between Hanabi and Ino, putting his hands up in a placating manner to prevent a fight between allies. "Tou-san had always said to get the full picture first before coming to a judgement. We should get to know the full story first before judging Haku and we cannot take Orochimaru's words at face value. It is his ploy to isolate Haku from us, and it is working."

"Well, then what's the _full story_?" Ino argued back. "The story of how he slit his father's throat?"

"Careful, Ino." Sai said in a warning tone and his hand went to place itself on the handle of his tanto. "You may be a comrade, but I won't hesitate to gut you if you continue. Choose your next words wisely."

"Kakashi-sensei had always said to look underneath the underneath." Naruto chipped in. "I trust Haku."

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed out in a whisper. "No matter the circumstance, killing your own father is _wrong_!"

"I don't trust Haku." Ino stated plainly with her arms crossed without any fear of Sai. "I've seen my fair share of psychos due to what our clan is known for. I have been to T&I many times to see my clansmen interrogating and studying the psych profiles of psychos who did things like these simply for the fun of it. Sorry, Hanabi, but I am not putting my team in danger."

"Then this conversation is over." Sai said as he put a hand on Hanabi's shoulder to prevent her from mutilating the Yamanaka heiress. "Girly-kun is not someone who will willingly turn on his comrades despite how distrustful he is. If you are that afraid of us, we will make ourselves scarce the first thing tomorrow morning. You have our word."

"You two!" Ino exclaimed and threw her hands up in a frustrated manner. "I don't care what happened before he came here, but there's no way I can sit by and watch the two of you trusting that _monster_ to watch your backs while everyone else is asleep! He may kill the both of you! I have seen my fair share of psychos when I was shadowing my clansmen who were doing their job in T&I! None of us here are a match for Haku right now! Sasuke-kun is the only one who can probably stop him and even he is barely able to use chakra after that snake bit him! We don't have a chance against that monster!"

A hollow laughter cut them off and Hanabi recognised it as Haku's. Haku rarely laughed. What's worse is that this laughter sounded like one of a madman.

"You are right. I _am_ a monster." Haku finally spoke from where he is sitting. "After all, I not only killed my father, but my own mother as well. My father was right, my clan is cursed. I am a cursed child."

Haku looked up to gaze at the stars in the sky, uncaring at how the rest are looking at him.

"I had always known that there is a possibility that something like that might happen, that I might have to kill my father. My mother was a civilian from the Yuki clan who had hid herself in that small village because of the purges. She somehow fell in love with my Dad, a man who had been infected with that irrational fear that is so damn prevalent in the country. So she kept her identity a secret. Still, they loved each other, and then they had me."

Haku fed another twig into the fire to keep it going and continued his story.

"I always know that I was different, and I know that being different in that place is never a good thing. I hid my powers from my parents, but my father still found out about the secret that my Mum had kept hidden from him. He found her pendant, the pendant that has the symbol of the Yuki clan on it. That's where the madness started."

Haku turned to look at the rest of them, and the hollow look in his eyes will forever haunt Hanabi.

"You know what he tried to do? Come on, take a guess. How about you first, Ino? Since you are always so damn vocal."

Ino gulped, but she didn't dare to make a sound.

"Don't want to share? How about you then, Sakura? Or maybe Choji?" Haku began to list names as he looked at them in turn, who shrink upon his gaze. "Or maybe Shikamaru figured it out already? You are the smartest among us."

"Haku." Hanabi pleaded as she took a step forward. He needs to stop inflicting injuries on himself. What happened in the past should remain in the past.

Haku simply took a step backwards.

"Don't come near me, Hanabi. Who's to say that I won't kill you as well? Someone who is able to kill their parents will definitely have no troubles killing anyone else. Even you aren't safe from me."

"Your father tried to kill you, didn't he?" Shikamaru stated his deductions boldly, breaking the tension.

"Bingo!" Haku laughed madly once more as the temperature dropped, immediately putting Team 10 and Team 7 on alert. "He tried to kill me! Mum went to stop him, but she has no idea how to fight. She wasn't a shinobi and died trying to buy time for me to run from my father." Haku's voice descended towards the end.

"She died for my sake. It was me that killed her. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have died. My father tried to finish the job, but I awaken my bloodline at that moment and killed him instead. I killed my parents when I am only five years old. I have never felt bad about taking a life after that. It is just so easy to kill. How hard can it be? Especially for someone who is able to bring themselves to kill their family? I am incapable of feeling guilt. I _am_ a monster. Only monsters don't have feelings."

"Snap out of this, Haku!" Hanabi shouted as she walked up to him in concern. "Get a grip! This isn't like you!"

"You _never_ knew the true me!" Haku snapped back, causing Hanabi to flinch and rooted in shock at where she is standing. "I wasn't supposed to be here! I wanted to die! I **HATE** THIS LIFE! I never wanted to be born in the first place! I should be dead! Every single time we went outside the village for a mission there's always a small part of me that wished that I can finally die and I will wake up to find that this is just a really bad dream! A small voice constantly whispering at the back of my mind! Telling me to just overcommit and get myself killed so that I can finally wake up! To get it over and done with once and for all! You know what? That voice has been getting louder! If it wasn't for you I might have simply committed suicide to free myself from this crazy world a long time ago!"

Haku paused to catch his breath after that outburst, and what he said next broke Hanabi's heart.

"I never regretted saving you. But sometimes I wished that we had _never_ met. Sometimes I wished that Obito-sensei was late like he usually is and that he never managed to save me from that Kumo shinobi. I would die, but I would also be free. I shouldn't have listened to Kushina-shishou and Minato-shishou. I shouldn't have tried to bring myself to trust."

Haku paused again before he whispered, his soft voice cutting through the night like a sharpened blade.

"Who would want to trust a monster?"

Haku disappeared in a shunshin, leaving the rest of them staring at his previous location in silence.

"Happy now?" Hanabi gritted out as she stormed over to Ino and grabbed her by her shirt, pulling the Yamanaka close to her. "Are you _happy now_?"

"I-" Ino floundered as she tried to find something to say but failing to come up with anything.

"Haku was _healing_. He was getting _better_." Hanabi continued as tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't care how much of a mess she looked like right now. "He was starting to open up and beginning to trust people after _eight long years_ and you just have to _mess it all up_. I hope you are _happy_."

"I kind of understand Haku, you know?" Naruto said in a whisper as her right hand unconsciously rose to rest over the area where her gut is. "Who would want to trust a monster?"

"Dobe?" Sasuke asked cautiously despite the pain he is still feeling from the Cursed Mark. Hanabi had sealed a part of his chakra pathways off with a few taps of her Gentle Fist to prevent the vile chakra from the mark to infect his body further, but it is not a comfortable process. It isn't a permanent solution either.

"Nothing." Naruto murmured as she walked back to her team's campsite. "I will take first watch. You and Sakura-chan go and catch some sleep."

"Crackers-chan. We should go and find girly-kun. It's too dangerous for him to be by himself at night."

Hanabi gave one last glare at Ino before dropping her harshly back onto the ground.

"Let's go. I don't want to stay with them for even a moment longer."

"Agreed. They don't deserve our friendship."

"Hanabi, Sai-"

Shikamaru's words were ignored by the two as they both disappeared into the treetops. Shikamaru gave a frustrated sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. This is more troublesome than expected.

He shouldn't have taken part in this exam.

"That was dumb of you, Ino." Shikamaru told Ino off as Choji helped their team mate up. "How are you so naïve to believe that Haku would willingly kill off his father?"

"I-I didn't know, ok?!"

"That's the problem. _You didn't know_." Shikamaru shot back. "So you shouldn't have acted like you knew everything in the first place. You wanted the full story? There, you have it. Look at what you have done. I know Haku had never really earned our full trust due to what he did in the academy, but he had never done anything to suggest that he will really kill us all for the fun of it. Tai deserved what he got anyway. Hanabi's right. You don't deserve to call yourself a shinobi of Konoha if you chose to believe the words of a traitor at face value over our comrade. What happened to your Will of Fire? Use your brains before you talk next time."

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets and trudged back to their campsite which is located near where Team 7 is.

"I will take first watch with Naruto. You two go and sleep. I had slept too much in the day anyway, it's hard for me to fall asleep now."

For once, Ino didn't argue back.

* * *

It is not hard to locate Haku. Hanabi knew him like the back of her hand. Even without her byakugan, she could guess where he will most likely be heading to.

She and Sai found Haku sitting by the riverbank. Sai stopped her the moment they spotted Haku.

"I will give the two of you some privacy. Call for me if you need me. I will be nearby."

"Thank you, Sai."

"It's what friends do, crackers-chan."

Sai disappeared into the night. Hanabi took in a deep breath before preparing herself.

Haku had always like to gaze at large bodies of water. He had said that he like to watch the waters ripple and flow. That was why she had suggested to Sai that they should find the nearest source of water to find Haku. Her byakugan just made it easier to spot him.

Hanabi jumped down from the tree and slowly walked up to Haku, purposely not silencing her footsteps to let Haku know that she is approaching.

Spikes of ice rose from the ground to block her advance, but Hanabi didn't falter as she continued to walk forward. Haku's ice spikes are sharp. Just a graze is enough to draw blood. Despite that, she continued walking towards the mass of ice blocking her way.

She walked until she is right in front of the ice spikes. Just a little more and the ice spikes would pierce into her body. There is even one right in front of where her heart is and another one right in front of her left eye. Hanabi continued to walk forward, because she knew.

Haku would never harm her, just as she will never harm him.

True to her beliefs, the ice spikes receded reluctantly. For every step she took forward, the ice spikes retreated by an equal amount. In the end, it seems like Haku had given up. The ice spikes simply shattered and collapsed on the ground as shards of broken ice.

Haku is still in the same position as he had been when she had first spotted him. The look in his eyes is still hollow.

Hanabi sat down next to him and held his hand. She has no idea what to say, so she won't say anything. She just wants him to know that he has her support.

Hanabi cannot stand seeing him acting in this manner. This is not the Haku she knew. The Haku she knew is a jaded training maniac despite not wanting to be a shinobi. He has a dry and sarcastic sense of humour and puts up with her incessant chattering, chattering that even her twin found unbearable sometimes. He takes care of her in his own way and provides a listening ear whenever she needs one. He always claimed that he isn't listening at all when she is finally done ranting, but he remembers every word she said. Her Haku isn't like…. Like _this_.

Hanabi slowly wrapped her arms around Haku and gave him a hug. She wants her Haku back. She wants to go back to happier days where everything is not as complicated. She wants to continue bugging and annoying Haku. He will tell her off and shoo her away but make no real move to do so. He will get himself lost in learning about chakra theory and she will just be there beside him, silently watching him doing things that he enjoys.

Haku can be the most wanted man in the Elemental Nations and Hanabi won't care. She just wants her Haku back.

"Let it out, Haku. _Please_. Don't… Don't stay like this, Haku. You are scaring me." Hanabi said as she hugged Haku and her own tears starts spilling out. "I won't ask, I won't pry, but please, _talk_ to me."

Hanabi don't know how long they stayed in this manner, but eventually she felt her shoulder staining wet. Haku's body started to tremble, and soon he was wrecked with sobs and it wasn't long before he started to bawl his eyes out like a child.

Haku never cried. He had always appeared strong. He always knew what to do. Haku never showed any signs of weakness.

The Haku now is so helpless, so weak, so _fragile_.

Hanabi hates seeing Haku in this manner, and she hates herself more for not being able to do something about it.

The both of them cried in each other's embrace and Hanabi patted Haku's back comfortingly, who is still sobbing even when she herself had stopped and her own tears had dried up.

When Haku just joined their clan as a ward, her father had told her in private not to bother Haku about his past before they met each other. According to him, Haku's assessment from a Yamanaka psychotherapist is that whatever Haku had experienced in Kiri, he had learnt to cope with it by burying all the emotions he felt about it in the deepest part of his mind and sealed it shut like a tightly lidded box. As long as he doesn't touch the contents of the box, he can handle his emotions regarding his experience in Kiri just fine. Right now, every emotion Haku had repressed about his past had surfaced, it must not be easy for him in dealing with it.

They both stayed in that position as Hanabi hugged him, hoping that by doing so she can squeeze every bit of sadness that he is feeling out of him.

"He… He _loved_ us, you know?" Haku started to talk through the sobs and his voice sounded hoarse. "He loved us. He loved Mum and I, and I loved them. I really do."

"I know."

"I don't _understand_. Why?! _WHY_?!" Haku screamed out in his hoarse voice and Hanabi had to really tighten her grip on him to prevent him from hurting himself as Haku's chakra lashed out violently, but she remained surprisingly unharmed.

"**_WHY_** did being born with powers that we didn't ask for made him turn from a loving husband and father to a murderer in a split second?! I tried to save Mum, but the villagers were there and they hit my head hard. I was too young, I couldn't fight! Dad tried to kill me, and Mum put herself in the way to try and save me. She can't fight, she can't even use chakra. I can still remember it, how they fought and wrestle on the floor as Mum tried to prevent the dagger from stabbing me. Telling me to _run_. To _GO_."

Haku panted to catch his breath, but he continued to speak.

"And then I watched as Dad stabbed Mum in the heart." Haku whispered. "I can still remember how she looked like before she died. How she looked at me and realised that she failed to save me. Her only child."

Hanabi closed her eyes and she wish that Haku does not continue. It is too painful for even her to hear and she wasn't even there on the scene. But she needs to. Haku needs to talk about it and someone has to listen. He needs to let it out, to share his pain with someone who he trusts. The only person Haku trusts in the entire village is her and she knows it. She needs to steel herself and carrying on listening because _Haku needs her now_, more than ever.

"He walked to me with the dagger still dripping blood, _my mother's_ blood, and he said a lot of stuff that I don't remember, probably apologising to me and Mum. I don't know, all I did was to stare at Mum and then I realised that she is-"

Haku took a short, choked breath before continuing.

"Gone."

Haku then started to laugh. A small chuckle at first, then it suddenly exploded into full-blown laughter.

"Can you believe it?! I killed my own father after that! Who killed my own mother! Who died because of me! I caused her death! Our family, who loved each other so much, ended up killing each other because we feared each other more than we loved each other!"

Haku's hysterical and hollow laughter resounded across the empty clearing and Hanabi wanted to shut her ears but she still listened, Haku needs her. Just how long has he been suffering? Just how long has he repressed his memories and feelings regarding his past?

Haku's mad laughter eventually died down and he remained motionless in her arms.

"I miss her. I miss him too, sometimes, the good memories I had of him. I miss the short five years that we had together. Life was hard, but it was… nice."

Hanabi stroked Haku on the back of his head, trying to reassure him she is _here_. She's not going anywhere.

"There are times where I hate this world, Hanabi. I hate the shinobi system. I hate myself. I want to die, but I also want to live. I want to love, but I also want to hate. I want to grow stronger, but I don't want strength, I just want to live my life peacefully. More than anything, I want to trust again, but I am scared. I don't know who to trust, I don't want to get hurt again. What if I placed my trust in another and the same thing happens again? I don't think I can take it. I will _break_." Haku said as he buried his face into her shoulder.

"What do I _do_?"

"Then trust me." Hanabi choked out and she found that her tears had spilled out of her eyes again when she saw just how vulnerable Haku really is. "Trust me when I say that I will never betray you. Trust me when I say that I will never break your heart. I will care for you, just as you did for me when you first found and saved me."

Hanabi slowly detached herself from Haku and placed both her hands to cup Haku's cheeks. His face is downcast, his eyes look so hollow and her heart aches at seeing Haku, the person who she loved since young, crying like a helpless child.

"I will never hurt you. And I will never let anyone else hurt you again."

Hanabi don't know whether Haku heard what she just said, but she made a silent vow to herself.

_Orochimaru, I will kill you._ Hanabi thought in the confines of her mind as she closed her eyes and let Haku's forehead rest against hers as he continued to release his pent-up emotions by crying it out, her hands still cupping the sides of his face.

_I will kill you for hurting Haku._

* * *

**AN: I honestly just want to either delete or abandon this story. I have no idea why I am even writing this chapter when I barely had the motivation to. The reviews I read so far are mostly polar opposites. Either people loved it, or they absolutely hated it.**

**There are also some who obviously don't know what this story is about and I couldn't care to bring myself to explain. Too tiring.**

**Keep in mind that even if it is only a short eight chapters before this one, Haku had been living in Konoha for the past eight years. Many things can change in eight years.**

**I had also said this before. If you don't like to read this story, then don't read. I am not even getting paid for this and I have other better things to do in my free time. I'm just writing because I enjoy doing it, but I'm starting to think that my time is better off writing other stories instead of WOTI.**

**Either way, this chapter is out. For those who had enjoyed reading WOTI so far, I hope you enjoyed it. For those who didn't, there are many better stories out there. Your time is better spent reading those.**


	10. Chapter 10- Try

The sound of crackling wood started to grow louder as Hanabi prepared a campfire. It's already early morning. Sai had volunteered to go hunt for some wild game, so she took the initiative to start a fire for them to start cooking straightaway when Sai returned.

Hanabi sat back down and looked at Haku's sleeping form. It's rare to see him still asleep at this time of the day when they are camping out. Haku had always been a light sleeper whenever their team is camping outdoors.

He must have been very exhausted from the previous night.

Truth to be told, she herself is a little mentally exhausted too. Hearing the details of Haku's life story made her realised how spoiled and pampered she and her classmates are. They are fortunate, very fortunate, to be born in Konoha. The biggest calamity that befell on her thus far was her kidnapping, but she had made it back safe and sound.

At the expense of Haku's future.

That is one thing that she can never get over no matter how many times Haku had reassured her that it wasn't her fault. If she can go back in time, maybe she should have-

She was brought out of her thoughts when Haku starts to stir.

Haku opened his eyes and blinked a few times to rid himself of any remaining traces of sleepiness. He sat up and spotted her.

"Morning."

"Morning. Sai had gone to hunt. He should be back soon."

Haku gave a nod of acknowledgement as he took a drink from his bottle and moved to sit down beside her. The two of them spent a minute in silence, watching the fire.

"I'm sorry. I said some hurtful things to you last night, didn't I?"

"It's fine. I… I…" Hanabi struggled with herself for a short while before she continues to speak. "You were right. You could have lived the life you always wanted if it wasn't for me. If we didn't meet, you-"

"If we didn't meet, you would have suffered a fate worse than death. If we didn't meet, I may have the chance to live the life I dreamed of, but I also could have been dead due to a bandit raid or because I am unlucky enough to cross the path of a crazy shinobi, because I would not have the chance to learn the shinobi arts to know how to defend myself. Let's not speak about this again, there's no longer any point to talk about 'what-ifs'. We have gone through this many times. It's not your fault."

Hanabi looked downwards, partly because she is still in guilt and partly because at how useless she feels about this entire issue. There's nothing she can do for him, but he had done everything he could for her.

No, there's still something that she can do for him.

"Can you promise me something?"

"You know I had never denied you anything. Looking back, you are the one person that I truly care about since my parents died."

Hanabi's heart warmed a little at Haku's words. She lifted her hands and gently cup the sides of his face before slowly turning him around to face her.

"Next time, don't bottle everything up and keep it to yourself. I am always here with you, Haku. I know you don't trust easily, but I can keep secrets, especially when it comes to you. If something is bothering you, talk to me. I am here to listen. There's no need to handle everything alone."

Haku's eyes softened a little.

"I don't know if I can keep this promise, but I will try."

"Is now a bad time to interrupt?" Sai chirped out as he poked his head out from behind a tree nearby. "I can always go for a walk and be back later, but the food takes time to cook and I don't want to have a late breakfast. I hope I didn't just interrupt a kissing session. I had read about a book that-"

"Shut up, Sai."

"The fact that the both of you are in sync means that you are probably ok now, girly-kun. When are you two tying the knot?"

Sai walked up to them with a dead rabbit already gutted and skinned. Ignoring Sai's last comment, Haku received the wild game from him and poke a sharp stick through it before letting it roast over the fire.

"Thanks, guys. For everything."

"Why are you so formal with us? The book that I had read mentioned that good friends are rarely formal with-"

"Just accept it, ok? Books aren't always right and they can't cover every scenario."

Sai whipped out his notebook to start jotting down whatever Haku just said. Haku and Hanabi just sigh in resignation upon seeing this action. Sai is still socially hopeless.

The three of them enjoyed a quiet breakfast as the sun slowly rose and shine over the dense forest.

"Do you know if… er… Just what did I say last night? How much did I say? My mind was a mess and I really couldn't remember how much I told everyone."

Hanabi looked up at Haku.

"You don't remember?"

"Only a vague idea. I vaguely remember that you were with me last night, but I can't really remember what we talked about, only that I was crying non-stop. It's weird, like trying to remember a dream kind of weird."

"You told us how you and your father… well…" Hanabi gestured with her hands, trying to avoid saying anything sensitive that might trigger Haku. "You only told them the bare bones of what happened. You told me the details."

"Ah. So it really wasn't a dream. I _did_ tell them."

"They have no right to judge you." Hanabi said with fierce protectiveness as she unconsciously clenches her fist. "We need to find them, Haku. We need to warn them not to go around telling everyone-"

"Just leave them be. I am not going to be all buddy-buddy with them after what happened, but if they talk about it to someone else, so be it."

"Haku!"

"There's no way my past can be kept a secret any longer since I blurted it out." Haku reasoned. "We had met Orochimaru. He had taken an interest in me. The higher-ups are going to question us everything about our encounter, there's no way we can leave the outburst of my past out of it. We had broken all logic and protocol by leaving their group when it was safer to be together. The higher-ups will want to know why. Team 7 and 10 will have no choice but to tell them what really happened."

"It's not their choice to make! It's _your_ past! _Your_ privacy! We can-"

"Hanabi." Haku interrupted politely to stop her tirade. "We are living in a militaristic society. Concepts such as human rights and personal privacy can be easily changed by the higher-ups at their whim, all in the name of the greater good of the village. The sooner you realise this, the better. We are shinobis. We are simply tools to the village. Tools have no rights, nor do they have privacy."

"That's true." Sai agreed as he finished up his meal. "That's what grandfather said to me all the time. We are simply tools to the village, we live and die for the village. There's no need for emotions or a sense of self."

"But that's… wrong!"

"And it is how it is." Haku said with finality. "In a world where the economy is dependent on constant bloodshed to keep it functioning, such things are inevitable. This is why this world experienced three world wars in such a short period of time. It helps to keep the economy growing. This is also why this world never knew peace."

"You sound as if you have an idea on how to establish peace." Sai stated as he drank a sip from his bottle to wash off the taste of his meal.

"If it were me, I will abolish the shinobi system to establish peace across the nations. That is assuming I have the power to do so. Obviously, that is impossible."

"How will abolishing the shinobi system establish peace?" Sai asked curiously. "What makes you think that way?"

"Everything runs on money, everyone needs money to live and survive. Why do we go to war? Because some nations made more profits than others. What is the biggest source of income for the Five Great Nations? The revenue their Hidden Villages made for them through missions. Oh, look. Village A is stealing our clients away from us. We need to stop them. Oh, look. Village B is stealing the clients from Village A and Village C is stealing from Village B. Maybe we can ally with Village B to wipe out Village A and C? We can pillage the spoils of our victory from them and get our clients back. We can profit if we win a fight with them. We can profit even more if we backstab Village B right after we wipe out Village A and C."

Haku paused to look at Sai.

"Sounds familiar, right? Can you now see why the previous three wars started? If you read everything related to shinobi history and look at it objectively, the real history of shinobis since the founding of the Hidden Villages is nothing like what the academy teachers taught during our history lessons. It's not always about defending our motherland and fighting for the Will of Fire. It's not always true that our enemies are despicable simply because they are from Iwa."

Haku paused a moment to let his team mates digest what he just said before continuing.

"But no matter the village you are in, it's always about trying to accumulate more power and money. It's always about greed. This world runs and profit from the blood of others since everyone is paying shinobis to get rid of their problems by offing whoever stands in their way. It is the prevalent mentality in this world. Do you guys know why?"

Hanabi shook her head and Sai gave a shrug. They both don't know the answer to Haku's question.

"Because for civilians, the solution is always so simple. A violent solution, but simple. They don't even need to dirty their hands. It is the only way civilians know how to solve any difficult problems they faced. The only thing they need to part with is money. For shinobis, it is the only way that they know how to make a living and shinobis hold _a lot_ of power in this world. In reality, shinobis call the shots. Not the civilians, not the daimyos, but the shinobis. When it comes down to it, the daimyos are nothing more than puppet figures who think that they hold power when their power is meaningless in the face of shinobis who are able to properly utilise chakra. How can this world know true peace if this is how the world functions? How can this world know true peace if the few people that holds the most power in this world lead their people to war so that their village can continue to prosper? If you look back, every brief period of peace between the wars is so short it's not even funny. It's like borrowed time for every village to prepare for the next war. The longer the peace, the bigger the next war. Try naming a Kage that never experienced a war in their lifetime. Our periods of peace are just that short."

"Am I supposed to be worried that I actually understand the point you are making? If what you said is true, the next war will be really huge." Hanabi asked as she too finished her meal.

"I am surprised that I actually understood what you are saying as well. It is a refreshing point of view. It is one that I never thought about."

"And it will remain as that, a point of view." Haku waved it off with a hand. "There's no way the Hidden Villages will want the shinobi system to be abolished. Unless someone with that same idea is actually strong enough to stand against their combined might and enforce it, it will never happen. It will take another war for this idea to be implemented, if it gets to that point."

Haku had finished his meal as well. The three of them packed up and erased any traces of their presence in this area before preparing to set off once more.

"So, Mr and Mrs Yuki, just so that we are on the same page. We head straight to the tower?"

"Not funny, Sai. Try harder next time if you want to try cracking a joke. And to answer your question, we already have both scrolls with us even before we met Orochimaru. Why not? We will proceed as how we did before we met him. If we run into any teams, leave the fighting to me. The both of you took the night shifts last night while I was out like a light. I can handle most of the teams out there by myself."

"Haku, are you sure that you are really alright? We can wait for another day-"

"I'm fine. All of us can rest better in the tower anyway. Let's just aim to reach there as soon as possible."

"I agree. What about you, crackers-chan?"

Hanabi raised an eyebrow at Haku. There's no way he's perfectly fine yet, but she has to admit that Haku's current state is a lot better than she had expected it to be. He is obviously still hurting, but at least he is acting as normal as possible.

"If you two are really ok with it, then fine. Just don't overexert yourself if the fighting gets too tough."

"The only team I am worried about is the Suna team, but don't worry. I won't overexert."

"Sorry to interrupt your flirting session, but we really need to-"

"Shut up, Sai."

"Must you guys greet me with that phrase every single time I say something?"

* * *

Hanabi let out a small sigh of relief in her mind. Haku's mood is still a little foul and he hasn't fully healed from what happened last night, but from what she can see thus far, he is as fine as he can be. She can only hope that he can remain this way at least until the end of the exams. It will not do well for him if he suffers another breakdown at this point.

It's obvious that something had changed within Haku. She doesn't know what it is exactly, but she can tell. He is a little less hesitant, a little more ruthless. It's like he had truly come to accept the life of a shinobi for whatever reasons. She can tell from the way he carries himself.

It's like he had came to a realisation and decided upon something. Something that she does not yet know.

Their journey to the tower isn't smooth sailing. It is also what allows her to see that Haku had changed.

There were a few teams from foreign villages that had either found them through sheer luck or skill when they were travelling. It was the only time Team 13 had gotten any action. They dismantled all of their oppositions in record time.

To be more accurate, Haku did most of the work. Hanabi and Sai simply stood by the side and watched as Haku demolished whoever is stupid or unlucky enough to face them. Haku didn't kill them, but injure them enough so that they probably couldn't pass the exam in time.

The two Kumo teams that they ran into after that weren't so lucky.

Team 13 had wanted to detour and avoid them initially when Hanabi had spotted them with her byakugan. Everyone had signed the agreement forms given out by the proctor, that Konoha would not take any responsibility for any deaths in the second stage and all the participants knew that it is a free-for-all in this forest, but Team 13 wanted to avoid escalating the already fragile peace between the two villages as much as possible.

The Kumo genins didn't think about it this way.

There was obviously a sensor among the two teams of Kumo genins since they home in on them like a hawk to its prey despite Team 13 taking the extra effort to avoid them. Haku was already in a foul mood when he learnt that it was Kumo genins that they are avoiding. The scars that littered his arms are a constant reminder of what he had experienced from Kumo. The Kumo genins purposely seeking them out made him even more moody than he already is.

What the Kumo genins did next sealed their fate.

In hindsight, they were probably trying to rile them up through trash talking. The moment they appeared, they had threatened to kill Hanabi and pluck her eyes out of her skull so that they can present it to their Raikage when they returned to their village.

Usually, using such tactics might work on others. If you managed to rile up your enemies, chances are that they might make fatal mistakes you can capitalise on in your battle. However, they shouldn't have done it _right in front of Haku_.

Haku had always been someone who is able to keep his cool no matter what. There are only a few things in this world that can truly rile him up and he had somehow encountered those few things in the short span of this stage of the exam.

Five seconds. That's all the time Haku took to eradicate the two Kumo teams that had threatened Hanabi.

It is a side of Haku that Hanabi had never seen before. It scares her a little, and it made her realised how much Haku had been holding back during their spars. Haku had cared too much about her, so much that he never showed her just what he is capable of since most of his invented jutsus with the Ice Release is a one-hit-kill type of jutsu. Jutsus that he can never use in their spars since he will never harm her.

Shards of ice that made themselves invisible by refracting light so that their target will not be aware of its presence until it's too late. Freezing his opponent's blood with just a touch. Coating himself in a layer of ice that blocked all kinds of physical damage and giving frostbite to anyone who had touched it. Exploding his ice cubes like an exploding tag, sending shrapnel of small ice spikes into his opponents.

The Kumo genins were torn apart by Haku's power. Some were skewered. Some were brutally ripped apart limb from limb as bits of brain matter, gore, and blood showered down from the sky. There was one who simply became a frozen statue, his very blood in him got frozen the moment Haku so much as touched him.

Haku did all these in just five seconds.

It's like Haku had totally embraced his darker and shinobi side of him. It's like whatever doubts and apprehension that he had in being a shinobi had disappeared. During those five seconds, Haku had truly became a monster.

Before, Haku had never killed simply because he was able to. There was always a good reason to why he killed even if he wasn't bothered by the act of killing. Now, he had killed because some Kumo genins had let their mouth run without their filters over it. This has never happened before.

But he still did it anyway, because he cannot stand anyone threatening her. Hanabi knew that she is important to Haku but she never knew how important until now.

She will never admit it aloud to anyone else, but she actually felt a little happy seeing Haku so protective of her. Should she be worried about her own mental state too? The fact that seeing the Kumo nins getting massacred by Haku because they so much as verbally threatened her actually made her a little happy. Is she a little mentally unstable as well? Is it wrong to feel this way?

No, she supposed it isn't. There's no point in denying her feelings for him. She loves Haku, she is sure of it. She will burn the world for him if it meant keeping him happy and safe like what he is doing for her now. Right and wrong are subjective concepts anyway. If Haku is happy and safe, then it probably is the right thing to do.

Another shocking thing is that Haku had later admitted that he only recently invented these jutsus in that short amount of time after his run-in with the Kiri nins during their C-rank mission and this exam. He would have used it against Orochimaru if he hadn't retreated when he did. These jutsus are his trump cards for the exams. It was supposed to be used against anyone that is too dangerous to be brought down in a non-lethal manner. It was not meant to cause a senseless massacre.

Haku is so brilliantly smart and creative with his Ice Release that it is frightening. The layer of ice that he coated himself with would have made him invincible against her Gentle Fist. She would have gotten frost bite the moment she touched them. How can she win against something like that?

What made her jaws dropped is when Haku had said that he had more ideas in his head, he even has an idea to create S Class jutsus with his Ice Release that might allow him to take on a jinchuriki in theory. It's just that he doesn't have the power and control over his bloodline to make it a reality yet.

Hanabi didn't doubt the truth in his words, and neither did Sai.

Thankfully, they didn't encounter any more opposition after destroying the Kumo team and they reached the tower by the end of the day. They walked through the main door, where a pair of chunin guards congratulated them and told them to make their way up to an empty room on the second floor.

"You know, I think Hinata's team is already here. I can sense them." Haku said as they walked up the stairs to the second floor.

"Really? Nee-chan is here?"

"If I focus my chakra on the surrounding water vapor in this building, I can do some form of chakra sensing. I'm just not too good with it since the amount of chakra control needed is ridiculous. I am familiar with Hinata's chakra, so it makes it easier to sense her. Come to think about it, if she asks you about my past, just tell her. If her entire team wants to know, then you can tell them as well. Just leave me out of the storytelling session. I don't want to risk another breakdown and I don't want to see their looks of pity."

"You don't need to let anyone else know about your past if you don't want to."

"I rather they find out about it through you than from Team 7 or 10. Don't get me wrong, you don't need to purposely approach them to tell them my life story. I'm just giving you and Sai permission to tell them if they ask you guys for it."

"I don't think I am suited for storytelling. Crackers-chan can have the honours."

As per the instructions, the three of them opened both scrolls at the designated room. A chunin appeared to congratulate them, explained to them of the importance of possessing both "Heaven" and "Earth", and telling them to rest until the next stage of the exams kicks in. Sai had interrupted the chunin by reporting their run-in with Orochimaru but the chunin reassured them that the Hokage and other capable shinobis are already onto the matter and that they should concentrate on their own exams.

From the chunin, they also found out that Sai's messages had never made their way to anyone. Orochimaru had somehow found a way to intercept them even when he was busy toying around with Team 7.

True to Haku's words, Team 8 had reached the tower before them. The only team that reached before Team 8 was the only Suna team that had entered this exam. Team 8 and Team 13 decided to room together since it will be easier to keep an eye out for each other.

The Suna team is dangerous. None of the teams want to be alone around the red-headed kid with a gourd.

Hinata had picked up on Haku's foul mood despite how much he had tried to hide it, and she had pulled Hanabi aside to ask questions. Hanabi hesitated in telling her twin the truth, but decided to do so anyway. Haku's past is bound to leak out after Haku had blurted it out like that. In that case, she'd rather her twin and her friends find it out from her own mouth instead from someone else who didn't know any better, like what Haku had said.

Haku needs more friends that are willing to stand by him, and Hanabi thinks that Kiba and Shino are people who are willing to stand by their friends.

She is going to help Haku no matter what.

* * *

The door creaked open and Hinata watched as her sister entered the room and closed the door behind her gently. Hanabi walked up to her and sat down by her side on the bed before wrapping her arms around her and burying her face into her chest.

"Hanabi?"

"I will kill Orochimaru, Nee-san." Hanabi spoke as if she didn't just state that she will kill one of the most powerful shinobis currently in existence. "He hurt Haku. I will kill him."

Hinata patted her twin sister on the back comfortingly. It's obvious to everyone that Haku isn't alright despite how much he tried to hide it. He is obviously emotionally hurting from something. It pains her to see Haku in such a state. Haku had cared for her and Neji in a brotherly way ever since he decided to open up a little when they were young, even if she knew how awkward he felt about it. But he tries his best and that is all that matters to them.

Despite how soft Hanabi had made her proclamation to kill Orochimaru, it had caught the attention of the rest of the occupants. None of them had anything to do anyway, the fact that the only other team right now in this tower is the team from Suna prevented them from being able to rest properly since they had witnessed how unstable he is. What they witnessed about the red-haired shinobi from Suna had scare them. He is one guy that no one on their team would want to fight against even if it is 3-on-1.

Akamaru trotted up to Hanabi and gave her a lick on her face to cheer her up. Shino and Kiba walked over from where they were resting as well. Sai had taken Haku with him to do…. whatever. She will find out when they returned.

Hinata gave her twin an encouraging hug before asking.

"What exactly happened in the forest? Haku, he… changed. He doesn't feel right."

And so, Hanabi told them. Everything that happened with the two other teams that night.

"Man, it is that bad, huh? I'm not very close to him, but I always thought Haku was someone who cannot be broken no matter what. He is one scary dude. It's hard to even imagine that he actually broke down."

"I believe that it would be better to keep your mouth shut, Kiba. Why? Because your words right now are only making Hanabi and Hinata feel worse."

"Kiba's not wrong." Hanabi whispered out as her face remained buried in Hinata's chest, who is still trying to comfort her twin sister. "I had thought that Haku was infallible too. He is always there. I never saw him back down no matter how impossible the situation seemed, yet Orochimaru managed to hurt him with just a few words." Hanabi finally released herself from Hinata, her eyes still a puffy red. "I only just realised how little I know about Haku before we met."

"He never told you until then?" Kiba asked disbelievingly.

"No, I didn't know about his past until he snapped. Don't even think about asking him for more details." Hanabi said as she wiped whatever remaining tears from her eyes. "Whatever he experienced was horrible, and that is putting it lightly."

"We will take note of it." Shino reassured her.

It wasn't long before Hanabi succumb to her mental exhaustion and fell asleep on Hinata's bed. Hinata activated her byakugan to spy on Haku and Sai to check that they are alright. Once satisfied with what she saw, she deactivated them.

"I will go find the two of them. Best if someone is there to keep a lookout on him, Sai is a social idiot."

Hinata murmured her thanks to Kiba, who waved it off and Akamaru followed him out of their room. Haku is not overly close nor is he overly friendly to their academy classmates, but they were also classmates for years before graduating from the academy. There is still a form of camaraderie and friendship between them that is forged from spending so much time in the same class for years. Kiba is not one to leave a friend unattended despite how rash he can be. He is loyal to a fault.

"I think I should go over as well. Why? I need to be there to do damage control in case Kiba accidentally riled Haku up."

Hinata smothered a laughter into her hand at Shino's words. Shino is a quiet individual but that does not mean he is antisocial. He cares about his friends just as much as anyone else.

"Thank you. I want to be there for Haku-kun too, but I think Hanabi needs me more right now."

"Don't worry too much about it. You should be here for your sister."

Hinata shuffled closer to her twin sister and pulled the covers over them. It has been a long time since they slept on the same bed together, although she wished it was under better circumstances that they indulged in some sister bonding.

For once in her life, Hinata felt a fierce sense of protectiveness welling up in her, a sense of aggressiveness that she doesn't even know she possess. Haku mental scars were being ripped apart forcefully and re-opened by that snake of a man. Hinata don't know how Haku endured what he had experienced and still managed to emerge as a functional human being, at least she knows that she would have probably broken down if she had experienced what he did. You would need a special kind of courage or attachment to life to continue to live on.

Having your mental scars ripped like that have to hurt.

Their father would have known about Hanabi's and Haku's encounter with the traitorous Sannin by now even if he doesn't know the specifics. She will need to tell him all about it, there is no way their father will take this lying down. He treats Haku like his own son even if he never said anything about it. Their father is a strong believer of the notion that actions speak louder than words. She will have to tell Neji about it too the moment his team reaches the tower. He can help and he will help. Haku is hurting and they need to be there for Haku. They are siblings.

Siblings stand by each other, no matter what.

* * *

The days in the tower flew past in the blink of an eye.

My mental state had mostly recovered by the time the second stage had concluded. I don't even know why I had a breakdown in the forest. I had never expected for something like that to happen nor have I experienced so many conflicting emotions before, but I don't feel like it's totally a bad thing. It feels good to finally get something heavy off your chest even if I don't remember exactly the extent of my past that I shared. I wasn't in the right state of mind and everything about that night was a jumbled mess.

Hanabi had told me that our academy classmates now know enough about my past. She never gave me a chance to be alone and let my mind wander. She snapped me back to reality every single time I did so.

I'm glad that I met her, I had felt so sorry that I had snapped at her back at the forest on that night. She didn't deserve it.

Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve someone as supportive as her to be by my side. Other than the one time which I saved her from her kidnappers, I had been nothing but trouble to her.

Both my team and Hinata's never left me alone during the days that we spent in the tower and I really appreciate their company and gesture. Neji's team arrived a day after us and they joined us as well the moment they reached the tower. Neji looks a little ragged from traversing through the dense forest but otherwise he looks fine.

Neji, Tenten, and Lee comes in a package deal during our stay there. Wherever Neji is, these two are sure to follow. Tenten is ok, the green monstrosity aka Might Guy's mini-me? Not so much. He means well and I know that he is a good person to befriend, but he is way too loud. Thankfully, Neji and Tenten are able to control him.

Team 7 and Team 10 came through the doors of the tower at the very last moment on the last day, looking extremely tired but capable of going through the next stage of the exams. Hanabi looked very annoyed by that. She didn't have a good impression of both teams after what had happened in the forest. She was hoping for them to fail.

The fact that she is angry at them for my sake is one of the warmest feelings I have felt to date. It feels like even if the entire world fell apart, she will still be here, by my side.

I might have gone insane a long time ago if it wasn't for her constantly being around by my side all these years. I cannot fathom a world without her, I will probably burn the world down in response. Or maybe I would bring about a period of ice age for the Elemental Nations that lasts a few generations. That works too.

Right now, there are nine teams that made it through the second part of the exam. Twenty-seven people is admittedly a little too many genins for the third part of the exams.

There were five teams from Konoha, namely the Rookie 15. The sand siblings were the only team from Suna. The Oto team had passed the second stage as well. There were two teams from Kumo who made it and among them, one of the teams had Karui and Omoi in it. The last member of their team looks vaguely familiar, and I think it is the guy who is Samui's brother. The one who keeps going on and on about 'hot' stuffs when he and his sister went to face Kinkaku and Ginkaku in canon.

Great. More canon characters.

The next big surprise is the fact that the preliminaries before the third stage of the exam will no longer be a one-on-one battle as per canon. It will be a free-for-all for all 27 of us. The last twelve people standing will be the ones to qualify for the next stage of the exam.

Technically speaking, there is no longer a need for a team. It is every man for himself.

"… Do you understand now? This is the truth of the chunin exams. It is a substitute for war. There is no need for twenty-seven people to be competing at the last stage of the exam. The remaining twelve left standing will advance, the rest will be eliminated. What are you genins waiting for? The preliminaries start now. The only condition is no killing, anything else is fair game. The jonins here will pull anyone who is incapable of fighting out immediately, so feel free to release your full power."

Upon Kizashi's words, the room exploded into a flurry of actions as everyone instantly spread out to separate themselves from one another. I cursed within my mind at Kizashi's decision to host the preliminary in this manner. This is going to be a bloodbath.

At the same time, I can see why he did that. Konoha has an overwhelming numerical advantage right now. If the five Konoha teams grouped up, we can take down the remaining teams with relative ease. Konoha will emerge as the overall winner for this chunin exam.

Too bad none of the teams realised this. Even if they do, most of them won't want to work with me unless they are a Hyuga or if they are a member of Team 13.

Who will want to trust someone who had killed their parents to watch their backs?

My team and I jumped backwards to create some distance from the middle of the room. I gave them a sideward glance and they nodded in return. Good, they have the same thinking as me. I know people like Kiba, Naruto, and Sasuke will probably opt to fight on their lonesome to prove that they are capable of going solo against everyone. Sometimes, their pride is too huge for their own good.

Oh well. They will grow. In time.

For Team 13, it is obvious to us that it is better for the three of us to work together. Our chances of survival are higher this way.

The current chaos is also advantageous for our team. We are a search and rescue team that is also equally capable in ambush and assassination. We are good at launching surprise attacks. We can make use of the chaos.

"We are going in for a blitz tactic. Aim for the Oto team. Cover me."

I know we can handle the Oto team with ease. I handled them with ease by my lonesome when I defended Kiba. It will be way easier with all three of us gunning for them.

Using my ice mirrors, I reappeared behind bandaged-face and swiftly knocked him out with blunt force via a Water Bullet shot at his head. The other guy tried to blast me with his modified arms but I disappeared once more into my ice mirrors just as Sai's ink snakes wrapped around him and attempt to strangle him. The Oto kunoichi tried to injure me by throwing her own senbons at my ice mirrors.

What a joke.

"You are a hundred years too early to be using senbons against me, _girl_."

The kunoichi in question was alarmed at my sudden reappearance at her back, but I knocked her out with a chop to her neck. When I looked up, Hanabi had already finished off the guy with the modified arms. I'm sure that he was given a name in canon, but I cannot remember what it was. He probably wasn't an important character.

"The Kumo team on the left. Follow my lead."

Sai and Hanabi didn't question my orders as we went in once more. The near instantaneous speed that I attain through using my ice mirrors is too broken an ability for most genins to handle. It is a broken ability to possess, especially so when I actually managed to master it.

I surprised the Kumo team by appearing in the middle of our targeted group, who immediately tried to skewer me with their swords upon spotting me. A shield of ice got in their way and prevented me from getting turned into shish kebab.

The ice that I created to shield me quickly spread and grew onto their swords, forcing the three Kumo genins to abandon their weapon unless they want to suffer the same fate as them.

"Hanabi, Sai."

Hanabi crashed into one of the Kumo genins like a speeding missile and her surprise attack knocked him out the moment she used a single finger to shut down his chakra pathways. Sai slashed at another using his tanto and rendered that person's arm useless with blood gushing out from the wound. Using that advantage, Sai formed a single seal and immediately swarms of ink snakes slithered out from the scroll in his other hand and tied his opponent up. Sai used the end of his tanto's handle to send him to dreamland thereafter.

"You fuckers!"

I merely gave a disinterested look and froze the last Kumo genin of that Kumo team in a cube of ice with a wave of my left hand. I have very little tolerance to Kumo shinobis given my history with them.

I am feeling vindictive today.

"The next Kumo team. Let's go."

Yeah, I am getting vindictive and petty, but I don't care. Our team alone had wiped out six people, that's about half the number of people that was to be cut down until we reach the maximum of twelve contestants for the third and final stage of the exams.

The Kumo team that is full of canon characters were already ready for us seeing as we had taken down their comrades with ease. Maybe we should have gone for them first.

Karui gave an angry yell as she slashed at me the moment I appeared. I blocked her strikes by creating a small shield of ice on my forearm and the shield immediately grew spikes to force her off me. I was hoping to puncture a few holes in her, but I guess I can't get everything I want.

Hanabi went to engage her in taijutsu as she swiped at Karui with a kunai in hand. Hanabi can handle Karui with no problems, I need to help Sai deal with the remaining two.

"Ice Release: Ice Grenade"

I created small cubes of ice in my palm and threw them towards Omoi and probably-Samui's-brother. The two of them sensed the danger behind my attack and ducked, but I refer to the cubes of ice as grenades for a reason.

The cubes exploded violently and countless shards of broken ice launched themselves outwards. Sai took this chance to create more drawings that can aid us later on.

"Cloud-Style Flame Beheading!"

A blade coated with fire slashed at me which I blocked with a Water Wall. A large arc of intense flames followed the trajectory of the blade and created a wall of fire as well. Omoi's team mate is no slouch in his swordsmanship and also in using the Fire Release, but he got _me_ as his opponent.

I am a skilled user of the Water Release.

"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"

A huge vortex of water swept across the Kumo team and I can see a few other teams jumping out of the way to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. This room is a little too small for 27 people to be fighting it out simultaneously. Everyone have to be on constant alert to ensure that they did not get themselves caught in attacks that weren't meant for them.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!"

Hanabi appeared right in front of the Kumo guy who uses fire (_No, really, what's his name?_) and took him out of the competition with her Gentle Fist. Omoi leapt back, he is outnumbered and the only thing he can do now is to run.

We were about to end him when a huge wave of sand fell upon the entire room. I quickly rose a pillar of ice to bring me and my team up and away from it. This has to be Gaara's work. Had he given in to his madness prematurely?

"Hinata! Kiba!"

Shino's uncharacteristic loud cry got our attention and I watched in shock as Gaara's sand wrapped around Hinata. Kiba and Akamaru got themselves caught up in the sand too when they tried to rescue her. Shino's bugs are doing all they can to siphon the chakra off the massive wave of sand around his team and render it useless, but it is no use. Gaara's sand has too much chakra for Shino's jutsu to be effective.

Gaara already had his left arm stretched out and his palm open. He slowly closed his fingers inwards. I know what is going to happen next. It is a signature move of his back when he was still an anime character in my previous world.

The jonins are not moving, they don't see a threat in Gaara's actions. They don't know what Gaara is truly capable of yet.

I do.

Hinata is not Hanabi, but she had tried her best to care for me like how a sister will care for her brother. She is one of the few who I am close with. I will probably shed tears if she died.

Hanabi will also be devastated if she lost her twin.

There's no time to think.

I reappeared next to the cocoons of sand that trapped Hinata and Kiba and flash-freezed the sand surrounding them with a single touch. A knife chop from my palm broke the ice, shattering the confinement that held them.

It seems I was still a little late. Hinata and Kiba were already injured by another attack before I had gotten to them. From the looks of it, they got hit by blunt force. Maybe Gaara had injure them with a Sand Bullet or with something similar?

In any case, they are in no condition to be able to continue fighting. We need to get them out of here.

"Shino, I will hold the Suna team! Get the two of them to the jonins and out of here!"

Shino wasted no time to argue and immediately pulled his team mates out of the area. I sent a wave of ice at the Suna team, who were taken aback by my ability to match Gaara's sand.

Gaara isn't the only one with a unique ability to change both the weather and the terrain.

"Water Release: Great Exploding Shockwave!"

The enhanced version of Water Shockwave stopped Gaara's sand from advancing and I can see the surprise on his face together with the madness in his eyes. Damn, he is unstable right now. This can't be good for us.

"Wind Release: Great Cast Net!"

A huge current of air combined with extremely sharp blades of wind, courtesy of Temari, tore through where I once was as I escaped with my mirrors. I went through hand seals for my next jutsu.

"Ice Release: Raging Blizzard!"

A huge blizzard blew from my mouth as I used it to overcome Temari's continuous use of wind-based attack and freeze the section of the room that we are at. Gaara had used a wall of sand to block my attack and shielded himself and his siblings from harm. I am surprised that he didn't go berserk yet and that he actually has the sense to shield his siblings. Didn't he not care about them in canon until Naruto talked sense into him?

A puppet sneaked up from somewhere behind me and launched a barrage of senbons that is no doubt coated with poison. Hanabi got behind my back and dashed towards the rain of needles.

"Kaiten!"

With that simple move, Kankuro's attack was deflected. Sai's ink lions pounced on the puppet, forcing Kankuro to call it back to his side in case his puppet got itself mauled beyond recognition by the lions.

"Quicksand Waterfall Flow"

I quickly backpedalled, grabbed Hanabi and Sai with me before diving into the safe confines of my ice mirrors to bring us out of here. Bringing people along with me consumes a lot more chakra as compared to the normal usage, but I have to do it or they might get themselves drowned in sand.

As I expected, Gaara flooded the entire room with a huge volume of sand he called upon from somewhere. Even the jonins in the room had climbed upwards to escape the attack via the walls of the building.

A huge fist made of sand went flying at Team 10. Choji only had just enough time to grab Shikamaru and threw him out of the danger zone. I can tell that he tried to save Ino too but he was too late in doing so. The two of them got themselves punched into a wall. There's no way they can continue with how big the impact was.

Sand began to wrap itself up around everyone as Gaara attempted to crush us all into paste. I had hidden the three of us in my mirror and had teleported to the ceiling to escape his initial salvo, but the sand is now trying to get to us as well.

I called upon the powers of my bloodline to aid me once more as I froze the approaching sands that was threatening me and my team. A drizzle of sand, each drop of sand the size of pebbles, then rained down upon the area and forced us all to either start dodging or defending ourselves on top of getting out of the initial sand trap.

Temari gave a war cry and got a sneak attack onto Tenten, who was too focused on trying to get out of the sand trap to notice her arrival. Neji broke himself free with a Kaiten and tried to save Tenten but he was too late. Temari backed off the moment she took Tenten down with Kankuro cooperating with her to secure her escape.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Swarms of orange clones bombard themselves like torpedos onto Gaara, who simply defended himself with a huge wall of sand. Sasuke attempted to get past his defence but he was too slow, he had not yet attained the speed needed to bypass the shield of sand.

Gaara had made himself a common threat to everyone here. Everyone now wants to take him down as soon as possible.

Kankuro, who had stayed hidden at Gaara's back the entire time, used the advantage of Gaara's absolute defence by hiding behind his shield of sand and constantly harass his opponents with his puppet. He almost succeeded in taking Sasuke out when his puppet almost nicked him with a poisoned blade. However, Sakura had pushed the unknowing Sasuke out of the way and the blade grazed her instead. Sakura had immediately fell unconscious after that. The poison used must have been a fast-acting poison.

"That Suna team is good." Sai complimented as we distanced ourselves from Gaara by clinging onto the sides of a wall with chakra. Gaara is completely ignoring us as long as we don't attack him and his team. He seemed to prefer taking out the easier prey before trying to get us, he probably doesn't want to waste time with us when I had proved that I have ways to stop his sand.

"We can wait until he takes out all of the competition for us. There are thirteen people left, let the Suna team do the work. The sand guy will probably not waste time and effort trying to catch us when there are easier preys out there." Hanabi added.

"Your cousin is out there fighting for his life and this is all you have to say?"

"Meh. Neji nii-san can take care of himself." Hanabi replied with a casual wave of her hand. "He is way stronger than me or Nee-san. We will only help him if he needs it, like how Nee-san needed our help earlier."

Still, I'm feeling competitive and a little suicidal. Letting the Suna team do all the work and letting them advance with all of their team members intact is demoralising, especially with how they are demolishing everyone else despite the fact that they are the only team from their village competing in the exams.

It is making everyone that is not from Suna look bad. None of us here who had advanced to this point are weak, but Gaara is at a completely different level as compared to most of us. Taking Gaara out is not possible unless I want to come face-to-face with the legendary tanuki. Temari is also too alert for me to connect my attack onto her. That leaves their puppet user.

Ok, I admit that I kind of want to get back at Kankuro for trying to ambush me with his puppet earlier. I wonder if I can take out Kankuro with a sneak attack? It is possible to do so if I time it right.

"Ice Release: Exploding Ice Clone"

My ice clone immediately disappeared into an ice mirror and re-emerged behind Kankuro. Kankuro sensed the danger within a second and spun around. I can see his fingers frantically moving to call his puppet back as he tried to duck and roll out of harm's way at the same time.

Too late.

My ice clone exploded with a loud boom that sent sand and ice in the vicinity to fly everywhere from the explosion. Kankuro lay unconscious on the sand with numerous shrapnel of ice embedded in him. With that, there are now exactly twelve contestants left to advance to the third stage of the exams.

Maybe I shouldn't have took inspiration from both Deidara's battle style and canon Itachi's exploding Shadow Clones, but I can't deny the effectiveness of having a living bomb do the work for you. I can see why Deidara loves his explosions. This method is just too simple and effective.

There was a look of rage in Gaara's eyes the moment he realised what had happened. I had bypassed his defence and took out someone who was using it for protection. I don't think the current Gaara really cares if Kankuro is dead or alive, but he had probably taken my success in getting past his defence as an insult to his pride and ability.

Like I care about that. I have better things to concern myself with.

The proctor with a constant sickly cough called for the end of the preliminary round before Gaara had the chance to go homicidal on everyone in this room. On hindsight, it might not be the brightest idea to do what I just did. What was I thinking in drawing attention to myself in that manner? I need to stop being suicidal.

"I think you just pissed eyebags-kun off with that, girly-kun. Do you want me to pray for your safety? I can afford some time to go visit a shrine to pray on your behalf after this is over."

"Eyebags-kun?" I parroted with curiosity. Is this Sai's new nickname for Gaara?

"Doesn't the black lines around his eyes makes it look like he hasn't slept in forever?"

"Maybe it's a Suna culture?" Hanabi suggested with a finger to her chin. "His puppeteer teammate does put makeup on for whatever reasons. Maybe the black markings around his eyes are makeup as well."

"Maybe to make himself look pretty? I had read that certain guys swing-"

"I doubt it, Sai."

As the remaining twelve contestants who had proved that we earn ourselves a spot to advance to the next stage, we all went to draw lots to see who we will get ourselves paired against for the final stage. I cursed my luck the moment I saw the pairings for the coming match.

1\. Shikamaru vs Temari

2\. Sasuke vs Neji

3\. Hanabi vs Omoi

4\. Haku vs Gaara

5\. Shino vs Sai

6\. Naruto vs Lee

_Me_ against **_Gaara_**.

_Great_. Just _great_.

There's no way this wasn't rigged somehow. The preliminaries had displayed Gaara's ability and it probably had gotten the higher-ups very alarmed, they probably weren't expecting a genin to be this skilled. Glad to know that the higher-ups in Konoha had _so much faith _in my abilities to stay alive.

Or maybe they just don't want to risk the lives of their clan heirs by pairing them against Gaara. Unlike the clan heirs, I am a disposable tool in the eyes of Konoha's leaders despite the value of my bloodline. There are no political ramifications if I somehow got myself killed in my match against Gaara. Hiashi will kick up a fuss if I got myself killed due to this, but ultimately, there's nothing that he can realistically do.

I am able to deal with Gaara's sand to a certain extent as shown in our short bout earlier, but I am unsure if I can match his jutsus that are on a way larger scale than what he just showed in the preliminaries. I know what he can possibly do at his current age from what I had saw in the manga and anime in my previous life, his battle with Kimimaro had left a lasting impression to those who had watched it. I need to work on my Ice Release if I want to prevent myself from getting killed, it is my only option in dealing with his sand. Water alone will not be enough.

We were dismissed after the pairings for the third stage were announced. I walked off to join Hanabi and Neji, who were waiting for me at a corner of the large room. Gaara was standing beside me when the proctor announced the pairings earlier. He suddenly spoke to me, much to my surprise.

"I will kill you in the third stage. Mother wants your blood."

"Be a rebellious kid for once and tell her no, won't you? I'm sure she will understand, what's with puberty and all."

I replied half-heartedly as I walked past him. I don't want to spend time with this version of Gaara anymore than necessary.

"You have the same eyes as me, I can see it. You know what it is like to be alone."

This remark made me paused in my tracks as I turned my head around slightly to look at him.

"So? Your point being?"

"I will kill you, only then can I feel alive. Only then can I validate the meaning of my existence."

"Good luck to you then. I admit that this life sucks, but I still want to try and continue living. Unlike you, the reason for my existence is no longer about me alone. I owe my life to a select few who had did everything they could to piece my broken self together and get me to try and continue living. You will have to work for it if you want to kill me."

I walked towards Hanabi, who was watching our interaction although she was too far to hear what me and Gaara said to each other. She gave me a bright smile as I walked over and pulled me by my arm to drag me to visit Hinata at the medical bay. Hinata wasn't too badly injured, but it could have been a lot worse if we didn't intervene and saved her in time. Neji and Sai followed with Shino trailing after us at the back. He had lasted long enough in the mayhem earlier after he got his teammates to safety to a jonin stationed nearby.

It is no longer about me alone. I will try, just this last time. I will try to trust. People come and go in your life and there's no way to tell if all of them are worthy of your trust, but I don't need many friends. I just need a few.

Whatever had happened that night is a complete mess in my mind, but I clearly remembered something. I remember Hanabi asking me to trust her. It was a plea from her to me, I can never deny a plea from her.

I will do what she asked for both her sake and mine. I know she will never betray my trust, we are always there for each other. It has been that way since we first met so many years ago.

This life is no longer about me alone. There _are_ people who care about me, especially Hanabi. She has always tried her best to keep me happy and sane. She had pulled me back from the extreme guilt and madness I experienced that night. I don't know what would happen if she didn't succeed in doing so, but I would probably go insane and start doing something suicidal. Believe it or not, I was **_this_** close to losing my sanity.

I need to forget my previous identity if I want to keep myself sane. Whoever I was before is no longer relevant. Whatever values I used to hold dear is no longer important. I need to remember that I am now in a different world with a different identity. I need to remember that I am now Yuki Haku, the last known member of the Yuki clan and a shinobi of Konohagakure. I need to start acting like a true shinobi. I need to try and truly accept the fact that I am now a killer for hire. I need to remember that I am now a ward of the Hyuga clan, adopted by the Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi himself. I need to remind myself that I am now a member of Team 13 under the leadership of Uchiha Obito, the Phantom of Konoha.

I need to accept the fact that I had directly or indirectly caused the death of both my parents. They had died by my hands, one way or another. It was a tragedy that I had tried to fool myself in thinking that will never happen as I was too drunk in the happiness at having the fortunate luck of having loving parents in my second life. It still happened anyway. My Mum had died trying to save me from my father and I had killed him in return.

It was a tragedy that resulted from the fear borne out of love.

Regardless, I need to accept the fact that I had committed an unforgivable sin and _move on_. The tragedy had caused me to lose my sense of reality for eight long years. If it wasn't for Hanabi pulling me back every single time I had negative thoughts about life, who knows what I would have become. People can talk about my past all they want; I don't care much about their opinions anymore. However, none of them are qualified to judge me unless they too have the blood of their parents on their hands.

I need to finally try and accept this reality. No more running away. I need to cast away my fears and face it head on. So what if this is an alternate universe of the so-called canon and everything went to shit from the get-go? It is my reality now; it is my life now. My Mum had used her life as the price to let me continue to live on. What was I thinking in wasting her sacrifice away for eight long years?

I am such a failure of a son.

I miss her. I want to speak to her once more. There are so many things I want to say to her and I will never get the chance to see her or hear her voice again. I want to apologise to her, for everything wrong that I did and could have done better.

God, I _miss_ her so badly.

I lost Mum, but now I have Hanabi.

For her, I will try.

I will _try_.

_I will try._

For she had showed me that I am never alone.


	11. Chapter 11- Support

"My little minions!"

Obito-sensei appeared out of nowhere and purposely ruffled our hair in a dramatic manner before we can even react to it. The three of us scowled. We don't appreciate having our hair getting messed up.

"You are making your sensei _sooo_ proud, you know that? You three are the only full team that advanced to the last stage of the exams with all the members intact!"

Oh yeah, that. I didn't realise it until Obito-sensei said it himself.

"So are we getting anything as our reward?" Hanabi said cheekily as she crossed her arms and rhythmically tapped a foot on the ground.

"How about a hug from your dear sensei?"

"Pass."

"Well, jokes aside, I'm glad that you guys survived Orochimaru." Obito-sensei got straight to the point and got into a more serious persona. "Don't worry too much, we will do something about him. I will make sure that he will never harm you guys again. Also, I want to check if you guys have any prior plans for the last stage of the exam. I know all of your abilities are unique and that I can't help much with most of them, but I am still your sensei. I will teach you what you need as long as you ask me."

"I don't mean to sound offensive, sensei, but grandfather wants to train me personally. I don't think we will be seeing each other all that much until the exams are finally over."

"Fair enough. Nabi-chan?"

Hanabi paused for a moment in thought.

"Actually…" Hanabi started out slow before stating her thoughts. "There's something I want to try and I may need your help for it, sensei. But I have to run it through Otou-sama first. I need to check if my idea is even possible."

"Sounds good."

"And me?" I asked dryly.

"I have already found someone for you, Haku. The person that will be training you is probably best suited for helping you find ways to survive the Suna kid."

The three of us look at our sensei in an incredulous manner. The preliminaries had only just concluded half an hour ago and he already found me a teacher? We all know how lazy he can be sometimes; Rin always complains about it to us.

"No, really. You need all the help you can, Haku. You are the only genin that can probably stop the crazy kid. Prepare yourself for a long training session outside Konoha's walls and pack everything you think you might need. Your training will start the day after tomorrow so you will have a one day break before that. Just be at the village gate at sunrise, you will know what to do when you reach there."

"So the pairings really was rigged."

"Duh, we are shinobis." Obito-sensei shrugged. "Do you rather if Sai or Hanabi faced him instead?"

Got me there.

"Anyway, go take a much-needed break. I know you guys are tired." Obito-sensei said as he pushed us along from our back. "Remember, if you need help, I am always here." He said the last part at us, and his gaze lingered on me a little longer than what is needed.

He had probably found out about my past somehow.

"Got it, Tobi-sensei." Sai said as he gave a tired yawn. "I mean, Obito-sensei. Sorry, too tired. My tongue got tied up and I spoke too fast."

I give a knowing grin.

"You know, if you speak sensei's name repeatedly and at a fast enough speed, you end up saying it as Tobi. Try it."

"_Obitoobitoobitoobitoobitoobitoobitoobi_\- Hey, it works!" Hanabi exclaimed as she immediately tried what I just said. "How did you find that out?"

"I think we just found a suitable nickname for sensei." Sai nodded in agreement.

"Wait, what? This is lame! I want a cooler nickname!"

"Sorry, Tobi-sensei."

"No can do, Tobi-sensei."

"This _is_ a cool nickname, Tobi-sensei."

"Change it! _CHANGE IT_!"

* * *

"Minato-shishou?"

Minato-shishou gave me a gentle smile as I walked over to him. I looked around the area where Obito-sensei had told me to report at. There's no one else here so early in the morning other than the two of us and the gate guards. Minato-shishou is also carrying a backpack on him and is in his full jonin gear.

"**_You_** are the one Obito-sensei said who will be training me?" I asked in disbelief. Isn't shishou an extremely busy man? And he will be training me for the entire month until the third stage commences?

"Yep." Minato-shishou confirmed my guess as he guided me over to the gate guards. A quick registration later, he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Hang on."

There's no other way to describe the sensation of experiencing the Flying Thunder God Technique other than extreme motion sickness. The feeling is just that indescribable.

"Ugh…" I wheezed and cough as I bent down and put my hands on my knees to support myself, holding in the urge to puke the moment we teleported to who-knows-where.

"A little warning next time, shishou?"

"Sorry about that, but from experience, the reaction is usually worse if the passenger is expecting it. It will get better once you get used to the sensation, or I can teach you a jutsu that I used in conjunction with my Flying Thunder God Technique to help prevent motion sickness."

I looked up in bafflement.

"A jutsu to prevent motion sickness?"

"Invented it myself. I don't know how the Niidaime endured using his version of the Flying Thunder God Technique without a jutsu like that, even I need the jutsu to be able to use the Flying Thunder God Technique repeatedly without rest. Maybe the Niidame could do it because he is a Senju, they do have better vitality than most."

Ok, now that makes some sense.

"Not that I am complaining, shishou, but why are you training me? You are a very busy man and Naruto is competing in the last segment of the exams too." I asked as we set up camp in an isolated clearing that shishou had teleported us to.

"Kushina will be taking over Naruto's training, they have very similar fighting styles so she is better suited to teaching her. I had already taught the basics of the Rasengan to Naruto anyway, now all she has to do is to practise until she got it down. If she is good enough, maybe she can use it at the last stage of the exams. If not, she definitely will be able to do so after a few months. She is not book smart like me, but she does have her own talent as well. She just learns differently as compared to most of us."

"That doesn't really answer my question."

"You are smart, Haku. Take a guess. The only clue I am giving you is that this is an arrangement that was made right after the preliminaries ended."

"Orochimaru and Gaara." I replied immediately. "Orochimaru had shown interest in both me and Sasuke and you guys want to protect us from them. Obito-sensei had said that I needed help for my match against Gaara at the last stage of the exams. You are the help although I have no idea what you are going to teach me."

Minato put his hand on my head and ruffled my hair in endearment. I think I now know where Obito-sensei got the same habit from.

"Got it in one. Sasuke is well-protected. Even if Orochimaru is a Sannin, he cannot take on the entire Uchiha clan by himself. They are the _Uchihas_. Itachi alone is able to match him and that is not considering how strong Fugaku really is. Sasuke will be safe with his clan. You, on the other hand, not so much."

I give Minato-shishou an inquisitive look. That sounds as if he is belittling the Hyuga clan.

"I am not downplaying the might of the Hyuga clan." Minato-shishou said after he saw the look I am giving him. "But you have to admit that currently, no Hyuga has what it takes to stand up against Orochimaru. The strength of their dojutsu is also not one that is wholly built for combat unlike the Uchiha. To deter an S-Rank threat, you need someone on the same level as well. I know you don't really like Konoha or shinobi villages in general, but some of us do care for you. I volunteered to protect you until the last stage of the exams and to train you at the same time. Kizashi and Hiashi agreed immediately. I know you don't like Kizashi, but trust me when I say that he treats you no less than any other shinobis in Konoha. He did what he did because he is the Hokage and your bloodline is just that valuable to anyone. He had to make many tough decisions as a Hokage. Try to understand him, even if it is just a little."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." I shot back a little harshly. "Even if I had accepted it and understood what he did, it wasn't a nice feeling being treated that way."

"We know. That's why we try to help you make your life in Konoha as enjoyable as possible."

Minato-shishou knelt down a little to look at me at eye-level as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I… I had heard from Naruto what you told her and her friends back at the Forest of Death." He stated a little hesitantly. "I…"

"Look, shishou. I don't need pity." I cut him off before he can continue. "I know I sound rude but I have enough of it. If you are worried that this will sour my friendship with Naruto, then don't. She is not the one I am angry at. I'm not even that mad at Orochimaru even if I am pissed at him for doing it. If anything, the person that I am the angriest at is myself."

"That does take some load off my mind." Minato-shishou admitted as he stood up straight again. "And don't be angry at yourself, it is unhealthy. I know it might not seem like it, but Naruto had a tough childhood as well due to circumstances beyond her control. If it wasn't for me and Kushina around her, she might not even have made a single friend. I cannot tell you what the exact-"

"I knew a long time ago that Naruto is a jinchuuriki, so you don't need to go around avoiding that topic when it is just us alone. I also know that Kushina-shishou is the previous host to the Kyubi. It is obvious."

This time, Minato-shishou seemed genuinely shocked.

"You look kind of stupid with that look on your face, shishou." I replied with the driest tone I can manage. Having one of the most dangerous man alive looking at you like that is really making me want to laugh out loud for unexplainable reasons.

"How? And who else did you tell?"

"No one, not even Hanabi. I know when to keep my mouth shut and I am not telling anyone unless given permission. This is her secret and only she has the right to decide who she wants to tell. To answer your first question, you and Kushina-shishou are the ones teaching me about seals. You expect me to not find out about this secret? Naruto's birthday and the date of the Kyubi attack falling on the same day is also too much of a coincidence. There are also many other clues, but I don't think you want to listen to them. Don't underestimate the power of observation, shishou. You taught me that yourself."

Minato-shishou placed a hand on his face and gave a heavy sigh as he shook his head.

"You are just too smart, Haku. But thank you, for befriending Naruto. It means a lot to me and Kushina."

"It should be the other way round, she is the one doing the befriending. I was, and still am an antisocial person."

"Still, thank you."

Minato-sensei took out a few sealing tags.

"Alright, let's start training proper. Since we are on the topic of jinchuuriki, do you know about the existence of the mindscape?"

Of course I do. Canon Naruto visits it a lot in the series to talk to the fox, but I shouldn't have that kind of knowledge as Yuki Haku. I will need to dumb myself a little if I don't want to raise unneeded suspicion. I had already given Minato-shishou a huge surprise by blurting out Naruto's status as Konoha's jinchuuriki.

"Heard about it a little from the Yamanakas."

"In a mindscape, time flows differently." Minato-shishou went off to explain something that seems completely unrelated to training but I still listen patiently. There must be a reason to what he is doing. "What you experience in the mindscape can be as long as hours or days or maybe even months, but only a few seconds in reality. I had heard that there are some Uchihas who are capable of using genjutsu to trick their target's mind in experiencing three days of torture in their mindscape when only a few seconds had passed. Fugaku is capable of this."

Must be referring to the Tsukuyomi.

"Actually, this is still in the experimental stage. This is a method that I only just managed to invent a few days ago after two years of trial and error. I don't know if it will have any serious backlash, but Kushina and I both agree that it should be safe enough for you to try it out. I got this idea after hearing Kushina and Naruto talking about the difference in their mindscape all the time at home and this is also inspired from the Shadow Clone's ability to transfer memories since the both of them use it so often."

I gave a slow nod of my head to prompt Minato-shishou to continue.

"However, most people don't have the ability to enter their own mindscape. Even I cannot do that. So I start to wonder: Is it possible to artificially induce a state in a person to help them enter their own mindscape? Seconds can become days in there. What if those artificial days are used for training? Sure, the training is done in your mind and it will have no visible results on the body, but _what if_, **_other_ **than training, you used the extra time to think of ways to improve yourself and come up with new jutsus? The time you spent in reality is now not wasted in thinking of ways to further improve yourself, but instead you can now wholeheartedly use it for training. Shinobis usually spent days, weeks, months, and even years to even come up with a single jutsu. Coming up with the Rasengan took me three years. What if those three years are not spent thinking about coming up with the Rasengan and I used it for training instead? How much stronger can I become? What about coming up with new design for seals? Coming up with new seals takes up a lot of time. Can the process be shortened?"

Oh.

**_OH._**

This.

Is **_genius_**.

This time, it is shishou who is giving me the smug look.

"I see you understand where I am getting at. This one month will not just be a month for you, Haku. It can be years depending on how time flows in your mindscape. Years of training for you packed into a single month. In some ways, it is better than the Shadow Clone method Kakashi and I devised for Naruto. Both methods have their pros and cons. Take note, I am not aiming to make you chunin level by the time our training is over. I am aiming to make you so strong that you will be at least a solid jonin in strength. What we require from our jonins is not just strength alone, there are many other factors as well. That is why some of our chunins are overpowered. They are strong when it comes to combat but they don't have the mentality of a jonin. However, we also cannot deny that strength is an important factor in choosing our jonins. You have what it takes to be an S-Rank shinobi, Haku. I am just giving you the help you need. I am sure you can flourish on your own from here even if I don't help you any further than this. By the time the exams are over, I want to make sure that no one can argue with us even if we promote you into a jonin straightaway. I want you to be that strong by the time the month is up."

"Why?" I asked even before I could filter my words. I think my vision is getting a little blurry as well. "Why go so far just for me?"

"Because I am your shishou and you are my student." Minato-shishou replied as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. "You are like the son me and Kushina never had. You are not related to us by blood, but we still view you like our son. I am also your shishou. Kushina did most of the teaching when it comes to seals and you only learn the bare basics from me since I am always so busy. It is time for me to do something as your shishou. If there is one thing all shinobis respect, it is strength. From Kushina's experience, your outsider status can make your life very difficult for you in Konoha, but if you can show everyone that you can make it to jonin even when others didn't make the cut despite them being so much older than you, it will be easier for you to be accepted by the shinobi populace."

Minato-shishou took a pause before continuing.

"Maybe it is because Kushina sees herself in you when you first arrived, but if it wasn't for Hiashi, we would have adopted you into our family the moment you found yourself in Konoha. I know you had a very harsh childhood and an even harder time back at the Forest of Death, Haku, but please, don't lose faith in life. There are people who cares about you. I was watching the first stage of the exam. I saw how you tried to listen to my advice when you defended Kiba and I can only imagine how much it had hurt you when you finally broke down in the Forest of Death. Still, I stand by what I said. Trust is a two-way street. Right now, I am showing you my trust by showing you what is probably one of the most broken training methods in the Elemental Nations. I am trusting that you will use it responsibly and not use it to harm Konoha in any way or form even if you don't like the village. I am trusting you that you will keep the secret of this training method to yourself and not share it with anyone else without my permission, even if it is Hanabi."

"You are placing too much trust in me."

"Like I said, trust is a two-way street. You can be ruthless, but all shinobis are or we might as well quit our jobs. I am the boogeyman of Iwa that had killed thousands even if my colleagues all called me the kindest shinobi alive. Beneath that icy exterior of yours is a kind heart, Haku, no matter how much you deny it. You wouldn't have risked your life to return Hanabi to us otherwise. You could have just left her in Kiri to fend for herself. I know you are still trying to trust others, I am just making the process easier for you."

It was only when Minato-shishou gently used his thumb to rub away the tears flowing down my cheeks that I realised that I am actually crying.

"Take a break and think through what I just said. We are not in a rush for time since we will have plenty of it. Remember, there will always be people who cares about you. If you need help, just ask. There's no need to keep everything to yourself."

* * *

Like Minato-shishou said, his training method is still in the experimental stage, but it is enough for training purposes.

I don't know what I expect my mindscape to be, but my mindscape is just a flatland full of snow with no end in sight. Minato-shishou is not able to enter into my mindscape just as I am not able to enter his simply because he had not managed to find a way to do that yet. In my mindscape, I am able to use my jutsus, similar to how canon Naruto does it when he fought with Kurama for dominance when he tried to take its chakra for his own use.

Heck, I even tried materialising a leaf in my mindscape and attempted the leaf-cutting exercise like what Naruto did in canon. It actually worked even if I don't know how. Minato-shishou looked as if he struck gold when I told him about it.

I will be looking forward to the early creation of the Rasenshuriken. Shishou does have wind-natured chakra, right?

Still, this is all I need. Minato-shishou really knows what I needed most to prepare myself to face Gaara.

Time. What I urgently need to face Gaara in battle during the third stage is time to prepare against him. I know what he can possibly do but I just need the time to find ways to counter all his known techniques and then more. Minato-shishou gave me the time I need.

This training method is extremely broken in some aspects but there are backlashes to it that is just as great. Nothing is perfect in this world, that includes jutsus and seals as well.

For one, I have to spend at least a day to recover every single time I exited my mindscape. My body just cannot keep up with my mind's activity and I will collapse in mental exhaustion the moment I came back to reality. I need to wait for my body to finally sync with the time my mind experienced and vice versa. According to Minato-shishou, Kushina is starting Naruto on the Shadow Clone method similar to what was used in canon, and while she is not yet good enough to sustain it for long unlike her canon counterpart due to her current young age, she is an Uzumaki and a jinchuuriki. She has a way faster regeneration.

I don't have that luxury.

After the recovery phase, I will then use the time in reality to train my body and execute the various ways I have thought of in my mindscape in utilising my Ice Release. There's no point in creating ideas for millions of jutsus if your body is unable to handle the physical strain. Minato-shishou sparred with me regularly and pointed out the flaws that I have to improve on in my creations.

The most surprising thing was that Minato-shishou taught me the Rasengan. I know the concept behind it thanks to my prior knowledge, but I had never attempted to learn it before this due to my respect for the man.

For shinobis, family and clan techniques are viewed very differently from the commonly known ones. For a family or a clan technique to be taught to an outsider, it goes to say that the one doing the teaching has a lot of trust in the person who is being taught. Shinobis are secretive by nature and they guard the jutsus passed down to them by their ancestors zealously. By teaching me the Rasengan, people will know that Minato-shishou has a lot of trust in me for him to even teach me this famed jutsu of his in the first place. He is really trying to do his best to help me gain acceptance in Konoha.

Words cannot express how much gratitude I have for him and Kushina-shishou. No one else had treated me with so much kindness since I was in Konoha with the exception of the Hyuga family I am adopted into. I have no doubt that Hiashi and Hizashi cares a lot about me, but they are very reserved people when it comes to showing their emotions. The Hyuga upbringing that they experienced made them that way. Actually, Hanabi is the only Hyuga I know who is so open in showing her emotions. The rest of them are either shy or stoic people, sometimes a combination of both.

Minato-shishou and I discussed about seals as well. We both know that while I am born with a smart enough brain to understand most seals, I am not a natural in it. I am not born for it. That is fine. I just want to know enough about seals since I think it is useful knowledge to have. The fact that the learning process is fun is a plus as well. However, sometime in during the training sessions, I suddenly had another perspective.

If I am never going to be as talented as both my shishous in creating seals, how about breaking them?

Creating new seals requires the creator to have full and complete understanding of the knowledge required to even attempt to create the seal. Destroying seals? No, you don't need to possess the full knowledge required to destroy them, although you need to know enough to ensure that it doesn't blow up in your face and accidentally kill you as a result. It is like dealing with exploding tags. Not everyone knows how to create one, but many shinobis worth their salt would know how to stop one from exploding, block the damage, or even defuse it if they can see it coming. The same logic applies to any other seals.

And so, Minato-shishou added that into my curriculum. He agrees with me. If I cannot be a Seals Master, then I might as well change my route and aim for being a skillful Seals Breaker instead. I may or may not reach the goal I set for myself, but at least it is a goal that is a lot easier to reach than becoming a Seals Master.

It is weird not having Hanabi by my side for the entire month and I do feel a little empty without her around me. It is suddenly a lot quieter since her chattering is non-existent now. This training trip just made me realise how much time we actually spend together without us even realising it.

But this is also the most relaxing month I had in a long time. No expectations. No judging eyes. No wagging tongues. No hostile words and hidden jabs. For once in eight years, I actually felt relaxed.

This might actually be good for me and Hanabi. We are too close and we need to learn to deal with being separated from each other. We cannot possibly be together for every mission the moment we became chunin since we will all have to lead our own squad, depending where the higher-ups slot us to after our eventual promotion even if some of us do not pass this chunin exam. Not all genin teams stay together after the genin stage simply because of manpower issues. People do die on missions and chunins are often shuffled around to fill up vacant spots. This is a well-known fact.

I am actually glad that I had a month-long break from being cooped up in the village. The fact that the person watching over me is someone I trust helps too.

I am not sure if the invasion will still happen and I don't like the idea of a war. I won't bat an eye if the shinobis want to cut each other's throats since I simply don't care about most of them, but innocents may die. It is always the innocents that suffer. Orochimaru will either be very foolish, or extremely confident in taking Konoha on his lonesome if he does go through with the invasion. I also have no idea how to warn Minato-shishou of it without alerting him to my reincarnated status, so all I can do is to pray for the best.

At least Konoha is a lot stronger than in canon right now. We should be alright. The few that I care about should be alright.

Or at least that is what I hope it will be.

If not, I can always bring about an ice age to help protect those that kept me sane. I am definitely way above chunin level by now like Gaara is. I am not a jinchuuriki, but I have the experience and plagiarised ideas of many others from my previous world. I have their creativity and their ideas. Strength comes in many different forms, not just by having a legendary beast sealed in your gut even if that is a terrifying strength to have.

Ice is a popular power for fictional characters to have and many of these characters have their own ways to utilise their powers. I am able to perform most of what I remembered about the applications of ice in the few fictional stories that I had read about in my previous life. The only thing I am lacking now is raw power since that is the only thing that cannot be hastened, but I do have the versatility part down. Stamina is also an issue since no matter how much I trained, I am not a chakra monster like Naruto, Kushina-shishou, or Kisame. There is a limit to how much ice I can create before I fall into a state of exhaustion and the only thing I can do is to try and increase the limit as much as possible. I don't have plot armour to help me too. If anything, the original plot worked against me. Many fictions about the Naruto verse talked about attaining Sage Mode, but in reality, you need to have very large reserves of chakra to even attempt to learn it. I don't have that natural advantage, Minato-shishou had told me so when I asked him about natural energy.

I have to find my own way to overcome my own physical restrictions.

Water and air are what created ice and it is also what creates life. I have the power to control the fundamental elements that supports life itself. It is an overpowered and broken ability if you can use it properly. I don't have full control of my bloodline yet and I still lack raw power, but when I do achieve it, I can stop even life in its tracks as long as I have the power to back it up.

I will bring these fictional abilities to life. It is the only thing I can do that will enable me to survive what is to come.

Plot or no plot, canon or no canon, I will survive. I have a reason to try and carry on living now. I don't want to kick the bucket the second time without at least trying my best to keep myself alive. I am not letting the hard work and sacrifices of those who had tried to help me go to waste. If I cannot live for myself, maybe I can try to live for the sake of others and do something meaningful for once in my life. I don't want my second attempt at life to be meaningless no matter how short or long it may be.

Maybe I can even find a goal to strive for along the way, if I am lucky enough.

Hmm… To live to protect those that cares for me sounds like a noble goal. I like the sound of it.

Will Mum be proud of me if she knows about this?

I hope she does.

* * *

"Hanabi-sama. There are visitors looking for you."

Hanabi gave a polite thanks to the branch member that passed her the message as she walked to the gates of the Hyuga compound. Who will want to find her?

She put on the ugliest scowl on her face when she finally saw who it is that is waiting outside the gates of the Hyuga compound.

"What. Are. You. Doing here. _Yamanaka_."

"Um… I…" Ino gulped as Hanabi activated her byakugan. The entire of Team 10 is here together with Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke are missing. Not a surprise, no one actually saw Naruto and Sasuke after the preliminaries were over like no one saw Haku. The three of them disappeared into thin air.

Anyone with a brain and with access to what happened in the Forest of Death will figure out that Sasuke and Haku are being protected from Orochimaru even if they don't know how it is being done. She isn't so sure about Naruto, but maybe she is keeping Sasuke company. The two of them are childhood friends and they are close.

"Taiga, Shu, see them out. I don't want to see them. They are not welcomed here."

Upon the command from their heiress, the two Hyuga guards that man the gates of the clan compound moved towards the quartet as Hanabi turned to leave.

"You heard Hanabi-sama. Please leave."

"We just want to apologise to Haku." Shikamaru explained on the group's behalf as he called after Hanabi's retreating form. "We were insensitive to Haku's feelings. Ino herself has been beating herself up over it and she wants a chance to correct her mistakes. We feel the same as well. Naruto and Sasuke are unable to come, so we are also here on their behalf. However, we cannot find Haku anywhere. We asked Sai and he said that you would know."

Sai popped up from around the corner just at that moment.

"Crackers-chan."

"Sai." Hanabi greeted her teammate as she finally stopped and turned around. "Why did you bring them here?"

"I think they deserve at least one chance to make things right again." Sai gave a nonchalant shrug as he said this. "At least the book I read about mentioned that everyone makes mistakes, but they should at least have one chance to remedy whatever they had done wrong. I don't think the book is entirely right, but I don't think it is entirely wrong either."

He had a point there.

"They even brought the poisons girly-kun has been wanting to get for ages as a way to show their sincerity. I think that is thoughtful of them." Sai continued as he pointed to a small box that Ino is clutching in her hands. "However, I really don't know where he went since I had been training in my clan compound this entire time. I thought that you might know, so I directed them to you."

Hanabi crossed her arms as she deactivated her byakugan. If they can really get Haku to forgive them, then he might have more friends that he can count on. He really needs to get a social life and stop training like a madman to escape from his problems.

Also, she doesn't think that Haku is truly mad at them, even if he probably has no intentions to repair the friendship between him and the two teams. It is like trying to repair broken glass. Once you break it, the cracks will always be there no matter how you tried to glue it back together.

Still, that is Haku's decision to make, not hers. Haku had changed after the happenings in the Forest of Death. Even she cannot tell what his opinions on things are right now. He had left a little too soon for his training for her to figure him out.

"One chance, so don't screw it up. Also, if Haku says no, then it means no."

"We understand."

"Still, even I don't know where he went." Hanabi admitted. "All I know is that he is outside the village right now. He sends a letter to me and Otou-sama about once every few days through Minato-san's toad summons to inform us that he is alright and we will respond in kind. He is currently being watched by Minato-san and I think you all know why. All I can do for you guys is to help you send a letter to him. Whatever you want to say and give to him, write it down and I will send it to him for you when the toad messenger makes its next appearance."

"That is fine by us." Ino said as she visibly tried to steel her nerves. "We… We just want a chance. I know I screwed things up, but…"

"Save the apologies for Haku, not me. He is the one that you had hurt."

Ino looked down in guilt at Hanabi's words. Sai eased the mood as he said his next sentence.

"Crackers-chan, I have been thinking about it recently. From what I can see, girly-kun seems to be very close to his mother when she was alive, is that true?"

"Yeah, it is." Hanabi blinked in mild confusion at the sudden change in topic. "He always talks about her even without him realising it. He has a pendant that used to belong to her that he wears around his neck and I hardly see him taking it off. When he does, it is usually because he doesn't want it to get damaged or dirtied for whatever reasons."

"And he doesn't have a picture of her?"

"No, he doesn't. He had said that he had left his village as soon as possible after it happened. He was afraid of getting caught. Or maybe there wasn't a picture for him to bring along in the first place. Unlike Konoha, most villagers out there in the Elemental Nations are too poor to afford having someone paint a portrait for them, much less take a photograph. Especially so for Kiri. I had seen how bad the poverty is when I was there. It was so bad that I still remember about it even after so long."

"Do you know how his mother look like?"

"I never met her, but I can remember how Haku described her. I can memorise it by heart now since he always repeats the same thing whenever he talks about how she looks like. Why are you even asking?"

"Crackers-chan, you are looking at an artist here." Sai gave his best impression of a deadpan as he gestured to himself. "Why do you think I am asking?"

Hanabi's eyes widened in realisation and she can see the quartet doing the same as well.

"Sai." Hanabi breathed out. "You are brilliant. You are finally not a social idiot."

"Problem is, we don't know if we can really recreate the image of girly-kun's mother even with the description he provided you with." Sai continued as he ignored Hanabi's mixture of compliment of his idea and jab at his social awkwardness. "Saying she has 'almond-shaped eyes', for example, can lead to at least ten different variations of almond-shaped eyes if we really want to get technical. Still, we can try."

"Let's just do it. I think Haku will want to have a drawing of his mother to remember her by. He did say that his memory of how she looked like is fading as the days pass. Even if it is not as accurate as we like it to be, he will appreciate it."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started."

* * *

"It seems you have more letters than usual today. You even have a little box and a scroll."

Minato-shishou passed me the letters, box, and scroll. There are two letters. Strange, usually the Hyuga family will just compile into a single letter what they want to write to me about. Why are there two today? And what's with the box and the scroll?

I opened up the first letter and read through it quickly. This one is from the Hyuga family. Nothing out of the ordinary is written in this letter although Hanabi had mentioned that she wasn't sure if I would like the contents in the scroll. She said it is a combined effort of her, Sai, and both Team 10 and 7, even if Team 7 is now one person since like me, Naruto and Sasuke are both hidden somewhere due to the threat of Orochimaru. Orochimaru had never expressed an interest in Naruto even back at the Forest of Death, but she is the host of the Kyubi and Orochimaru definitely has ways to break the seal forcefully if he gets his hands on her. Konoha cannot afford the risk.

But since when is Hanabi on speaking terms with Team 10 and Team 7? And why is she so unsure whether I will like what she gave me in that scroll? It's not like I will throw her gift away no matter how bad it is. I still remember the girly-looking pink polka dot ribbon she picked out for me when she was six and although I never wore it, it is still somewhere in my drawer. I will get to the scroll later. I want to know who sent me the second letter.

I opened up the second letter.

This one is from both Team 10 and Team 7. They are asking for my forgiveness. It seems the box contains the poison that I was pining for, the one that would be my prize if I won the bet I made with Ino back at the first stage of the exams.

I am not exactly mad at them. To an extent, I can understand why Ino reacted that way. She was only trying to protect her teammates the best she knows how, although she should have first tried to understand the full story before jumping to conclusions.

Hanabi would want me to make more friends as well. If she had decided to help them send their letter of apology to me, she must have thought that they are at least being sincere in it. I don't know if my friendship with both teams will go back to what it once was, but it never hurts to try. If it doesn't work out, then I will just move on.

Still, I am curious at just **_what_** Hanabi sent me in that scroll. Is it a storage scroll, or just a normal scroll? She usually just shoves her presents to me without much care whether I like it or not since she knows I will accept it anyway. I kind of just do the same thing back at her. I had bought her a hairclip that she had thought to be atrocious looking, but she still wears it from time to time when she is at the clan compound. She just never wears it outside of the house because according to her, it is just that ugly.

"Why are you staring at the scroll like it is a bomb?"

"Shishou, if even Hanabi is unsure whether I will like what is in that scroll, then I think it is a huge cause for concern. Worse still, Sai is involved. Team 10 and Sakura are in it as well even if I don't know why. For all we know, it _may_ be a bomb."

"That bad?"

"This is _Hanabi_ we are talking about; her presents can be really unpredictable. I don't know how she found or made one, but she once gave me an exploding kunai on my birthday without telling me what it really is. The only thing she said was that she was sure I will love it. I nearly died that day. My birthday nearly became the day I passed away at the ripe old age of ten."

"…Should we set up a barrier?"

"… _Probably_…. Never mind, I will just open it. She is a genin now, she will know what is dangerous and what is not."

"Do you want to first write a will before opening it?"

"Kushina-shishou always said that you make bad jokes, she is right."

I slowly untie the string that wrapped around the scroll and start to slowly unroll the scroll. It seems to be just a normal scroll.

Good. No explosions.

Yet

I continue to unroll the scroll and what is drawn on it stumped me into silence. I shook my head and blink my eyes. No, I am not dreaming. I am seeing what I am seeing.

"Haku?"

I slowly raised my left hand to carefully touch the face of the person that is drawn on the scroll. There are a few small differences to what I remember about her looks, but there is no mistaking the person which was drawn on the scroll.

_Mum_

"Haku? Are you alright?" Minato-shishou asked in concern as he walked up to me. He saw the drawing and he made the connection straightaway. Mum and I do look alike since I take after her looks.

"Is that…"

"My Mum. They had somehow recreated an image of my Mum. This has to be Sai's work; I recognise his brushstrokes. Only Hanabi knows how my Mum would look like since she is the only person who I described her looks to. Team 10 and Sakura had probably helped as well even if I don't know what they did."

I held back my tears as I slowly rolled the scroll back and pocketed it. Minato-shishou didn't say anything, but he gave me a comforting pat on the back as a show of support.

This is really the best present ever.


	12. Chapter 12- Siblings and Family

"Haku? You are back?"

"No, I'm not. You are seeing a ghost and I am definitely not Haku." Haku replied sarcastically as he walked through the main gates of the Hyuga compound.

Hanabi rolled her eyes at his response as she fell in step with Haku and looked at him discreetly. There's a noticeable change about the way he carries himself.

"You look more relaxed."

"I guess I am. The training trip felt more like a vacation than a training trip."

"There's still a few days before the third stage commences. I'm surprised that you came back so early, I was expecting you to only arrive about a day before the exams."

"Minato-shishou said that he wants me to take a break from training from now till the end of the exams. I can do some light sparring, but no more training until the exams. He said my body needs the rest."

"What did you do for your training trip?"

"Inventing new jutsus to make sure I can survive in my match against Gaara, and also learning how to break seals."

"That's it?"

"That's it. What about you?"

Hanabi spun around and put a hand on her hip as she leaned forward towards Haku. She held out a finger and waved it in front of his face in a secretive manner.

"Secret~"

"Fine, keep your secrets." Haku replied with a roll of his eyes. "You do know that if the both of us beat our respective opponents we will be facing each other, right?"

"Usually, I would have just forfeit if I have to fight you for real, but Obito-sensei and I came up with a way to make the Gentle Fist even deadlier. Even Otou-sama is impressed. Maybe I can even beat you now."

"Just don't cry if I freeze you into a popsicle in the exams."

They both entered Haku's room as Haku began to unpack the stuffs from his backpack. Haku took out a familiar looking scroll and unrolled it before hanging it carefully on the wall.

"Thank you for the drawing, by the way. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"It was Sai's idea." Hanabi admitted. "You should thank him when you see him."

"I will."

It wasn't long before Haku finished unpacking his things.

"Do you have anything to do now?" Hanabi asked Haku from where she is sitting on his table and swinging her legs lazily.

"No. You have something in mind?"

"The marketplace is buzzing with activity now due to the Chunin Exams, what with the number of visitors coming to Konoha to spectate us and all that. I heard from sensei and Rin yesterday that there are a lot of exotic merchandise on sale now and I really want to go and take a look. They said that most of the items there have a huge discount too. Want to come?"

"Sure. What about Neji and Hinata?"

"Nee-san is helping Shino prepare for his exam. Neji nii-san is probably training with Otou-sama right now since I chose to train with sensei instead."

Haku gave a nod of his head in acknowledgment. Seeing that, Hanabi grabbed onto his arm and began to drag him excitedly out of the compound.

"Come on, Haku, look alive! We are going shopping!"

"That's exactly why I look otherwise."

* * *

"How about this? Does it look nice on me?"

I gave a look at the hairclip Hanabi is wearing and then at the rest of the hairclips on display before returning my gaze back at her.

I still can't believe she tried **_all_** thirty-six hairclips on display.

"I think they all look good on you."

Hanabi pouted as she put both her hands on her hips crossly.

"You say the same for _everything_."

"Because all of them really look good on you."

Hanabi sighed before taking out the hairclip and return it back to the display shelf.

"You are hopeless." She said as she grabbed me by my arm once more and drag me to the next stall. I swear that the speed she use to move from stall to stall is on par with a shunshin.

I had lost count on how many stalls we had visited since we arrived at the marketplace about two hours ago. Hanabi has an obsession with collecting hair accessories and that is her main focus for today as we went window shopping at the marketplace. She even has an entire chest drawer in her bedroom that is dedicated to storing all the different types of hair accessories that she had collected over the years. She can sometimes spend hours at the front of her mirror in her bedroom trying out the accessories she had collected in her spare time. Hinata will sometimes join in as well.

Neji and I will usually make ourselves scarce during times like these. We don't want them to try doing our hair as well with all the hair accessories Hanabi collected. They tried it on us once, it was a torturous experience.

If finding the 'perfect' hair accessory makes Hanabi happy, well, I am definitely okay with indulging her. It's not like I have anything better to do now anyway. Hanabi and Minato-shishou had all said that I need to learn how to take a break from training.

We stopped by another stand that sells textile and apparels. Hanabi's focus is now on the small shelf where various hair sticks are displayed. Hair sticks are her favourites with hairclips as a close second, although she usually sticks to hair tie whenever she is on missions.

"How about this one?" I suggested as I picked up a wooden hair stick and showed it to her.

Hanabi gave a disinterested look at the hair stick before directing that same look at me.

"Your fashion sense sucks."

I frowned a little as I look at the hair stick in my hand. It looks okay to me. It is not as intricate as the others on display, but its design is simple and nice. Not too showy, but not too plain either.

"**_This_**, is a lot better than the ugly looking chopstick you are holding." Hanabi said as she picked out a hair stick whose colour is as white as ivory. The engravings on it are a lot more intricate but at the same time, not to the extent where it seems overly gaudy or showy.

Ok, I have to admit that Hanabi's fashion sense when it comes to these things is miles ahead of mine.

Hanabi used the hair stick to tie part of her hair into a bun and let the rest flow down her back. She had let her hair grow out and its length is now somewhere past her shoulder blades. It seems that she had taken my suggestion to grow out her hair.

"How about this? Do I look good in it?" Hanabi asked the same question for the umpteenth time that day as she look into the mirror at the side of the stall to see if the hair stick suits her.

"You wouldn't believe me if I say you look good in it anyway."

Hanabi turned her head to give me a flat look.

"You, Yuki Haku, are an idiot."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What did I do?"

"Figure it out yourself." She said as she pulled out the hair stick and let her hair unravel itself before looking at the price tag on the object in question. "Now, how much- oh. Never mind."

Hanabi gave a reluctant look as she put the hair stick back to where it was before she walked off to see the yukatas on display a few meters away from where we are. I discreetly checked the price tag of the white hair stick that caught Hanabi's attention earlier.

It is a little on the pricey side even for shinobis. Hanabi may be a heiress and Hiashi definitely will not have any qualms giving her spending money if she asks for it, but like me, she likes to buy her stuffs with her own money. It might have been my own spending habit influencing her, but ever since she had become a genin, every single thing that she had bought is purchased with the money she had earned herself.

I don't spend as much as the Hyuga siblings since all I do is training. Even Neji has a better social life than me. I hardly touch my money at all because I don't really have the chance to spend it. The only time I do is usually if I eat out with my team after our training sessions and even then, we don't usually spend much on our meals.

I might as well spend my money on this hair stick if it can make Hanabi happy. There's no point hoarding money if you don't get to spend it. It is also a way to show my appreciation for Hanabi and also to thank her for sticking by my side for all these years. Money can never quantify the amount of gratitude I have for her, but it is the thought that counts.

I glanced in her direction. Hanabi is still preoccupied at looking through the yukatas on display. I have to make it quick.

I hope she likes it.

* * *

"Ah, that felt good."

"Why am I the one carrying your spoils of war?"

"Why do you think I drag you out here for? Make yourself useful."

Haku grumbled inaudibly under his breath as he carried the bags of stuffs that Hanabi had bought. Hanabi is proud of herself, every single item that she had bought today is definitely a lot cheaper than what it will usually be. Konoha should host the Chunin Exams more often, the discounts given during this period in the bustling marketplace had made her very happy.

A happy shopping experience makes a happy Hanabi.

It's still too bad that the ivory hair stick that had caught her eye is still too expensive for her taste. She could have bought it, but she would be exceeding the budget that she had set for herself.

Ah well, she will just have to work harder and find a cheaper yet better-looking hair stick. She is sure that there have to be nicer hair sticks somewhere in Konoha that is also cheaper in price. She just needs to search for it.

The both of them returned to the compound and they made their way to her bedroom. Haku put down the bags in a corner of her room as Hanabi jumped onto her bed and landed on her back, spreading her limbs out like a starfish.

"Today is a good day."

"For you, that is. This is even more tiring than training."

Hanabi gave a dismissive wave in Haku's direction from where she is lying on her bed.

"Thank you, my loyal servant, but you may now be dismissed. The Queen needs to take her shower."

"You are insufferable." Haku said as he rolled his eyes at her words. "See you during dinner."

Haku gently closed the shoji door after him as he exited her room and Hanabi moved towards her bathroom to take a shower. However, a foreign item caught her eye as she walked past the bags of items that she had bought earlier today.

Hanabi knelt down and dug out the foreign looking box in one of the bags. She is sure that she had not bought this item. What is it and why is it here?

Hanabi slowly opened the small cardboard box and she felt her mouth opening in surprise.

"Idiot. What an idiot."

Despite how much she wanted to go over to Haku's room right now to scold him for spending so much money on such an unimportant item, she cannot help but walk to the front of the mirror in her room with a small smile on her face. Hanabi did an elegant hairdo with the ivory hair stick and turned her head from side to side to inspect the result.

It looks beautiful on her. What will Haku say if he sees this?

Hanabi sighed. Knowing him, he will probably just say that the hair stick looks good on her like how he had said for all the different other hair accessories that she had tried out earlier today.

"What an idiot."

Hanabi muttered to herself once more as she carefully took out the hair stick and placed it on her dressing table with a small smile on her face. She will wear it when she goes for dinner later. There isn't a real need to verbally thank Haku, not everything needs to be said out loud. They can understand each other perfectly even without saying anything.

What hairdo should she style her hair into later? Maybe she should just ask Haku next time if there is a hairdo that he prefers to see her in, it will be way easier than trying to guess his thoughts. It might get him to change his comment about her from 'look good' to 'look beautiful'. Even 'look pretty' works.

If there's anyone who she wants to let see her at her most beautiful, it is him.

* * *

"I was wondering when you would visit, gaki." Kushina-shishou said the moment she opened the door to her house and ruffled my hair with a hand. "Feel ready for the exams?"

"As ready as I can be. Minato-shishou was a great help."

"Well, he's not at home right now and I will be a little busy in the study room. I need to help the Barrier Corps with some stuffs regarding seals. Naruto's in her room. Thanks for coming, the whole lot of you. It means a lot to me and Minato."

Minato-shishou had said during the training trip that he and Kushina-shishou will like it if I can visit them more often. Even if they are not at home, they will appreciate if someone can keep Naruto company. Naruto had always been a little lonely as an only child and both of her parents can be really busy sometimes since they are the only two certified Seal Masters in Konoha. Despite their best efforts to spend time with Naruto, they can't always be there for her due to their jobs.

The Hyuga siblings are with me today as well since we all had nothing better to do. All of us are taking a break since the third stage of the exams is only two days away. At this stage, it is better to let our bodies rest instead of doing last minute training.

"Haku! Hanabi-chan! Hinata-chan! Neji!"

Naruto bounced to us the moment she spotted us entering her room. Sometimes, I really wonder how she can remain so cheerful all the time.

"Hey Haku, Tou-chan said he taught you the Rasengan. Come on, show it to me!"

"We are in your room, Naruto. I don't want to accidentally destroy anything."

"Haku-niiiiiiiiii!"

"_Haku-nii_?" Hanabi parroted with her voice almost an octave higher.

"Tou-chan taught him the family technique, so that makes Haku my nii-san!" Naruto said proudly as she latched onto my right arm in a death grip, not allowing me to get away.

_Me as Naruto's brother simply because I learnt the Rasengan? What kind of logic is this?_

"I don't think it works that way, Naruto." Neji added his opinion into the mix with his arms crossed.

"It does! I asked Tou-chan and Kaa-chan and they are both fine with it!" Naruto whined as she threw a tantrum by flailing about, shaking me in all sorts of direction in the process. "Kaa-chan told me to address Haku as my niisan! I finally have an older brother too! Now that Teme isn't the only one with an older brother!"

So this is what the issue is really about? A competition to see who has the better older brother? Really?

"Come to think about it, we never addressed Haku-kun as our niisan even if he is legally our brother." Hinata finally spoke up as she looked over to me, a rare mischievous glint in her eyes.

Oh no, don't she dare.

"Hinata, _don't_ call me by-"

"Haku-**_nii_**." Hinata purred out in an exaggerated manner that got Naruto rolling on the floor in peals of laughter. "As the older brother, you need to address me as _imouto_."

"Since when are you capable of making jokes?" I replied with a shudder. Them addressing me as their brother is enough to make me shiver. Considering that I am someone who has the power to control ice, that is something to be worried about.

"I am a quiet person, but that does not mean I don't make jokes, _Haku-nii_." Hinata said with a sly smile.

"I hate you guys."

"_Haku-nii_." Neji interrupted with the same sly smile as he looked at me. This is definitely a Hyuga thing. "I will be looking forward to addressing you as such."

"Not you too, Neji. And we are the same age."

"Your birthday is earlier than mine."

Hanabi is sporting a full-blown grin by now and is also about to call me by that thrice damned honorific when Naruto slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Nuh-uh, Hanabi-chan. You are the only one that cannot address Haku-nii as your niisan."

"Why not?" Hanabi argued the moment she got Naruto's hand off her mouth. "We are-"

"**_You_** are a special case. You can only address him as _Anata_."

"NARUTO!"

Hanabi blushed up a storm and went to grab at Naruto, who simply ducked and hide herself behind Hinata before sticking out her tongue.

"Haku and Hanabi, sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-"

"STOP IT!"

Hanabi went to wrestle with the newly self-proclaimed blonde-haired younger sister of mine on the floor as I watched on by the side. **_Me_**? The older brother to the protagonist of the story? This is wrong on so many levels that it is not even remotely funny. I am fine with being good friends with her but having her as a sibling? Will this somehow change the storyline-

Oh wait, the storyline is screwed to begin with. Now I really don't have a legitimate reason to rebuke Naruto's logic and convince myself that this is a really bad idea.

Damn it. Where is canon when you really need it?

"Haku-nii, are you not stopping them?"

"You are enjoying yourself a little too much by calling me with that honorific, Hinata."

"There's nothing wrong with me addressing you as my brother. You _are_ our brother, Haku-nii."

"What Hinata-sama said." Neji quipped in from the side.

"I am not the best person to have as your older brother." I admitted to Hinata and Neji. "I have so many flaws. I don't think I can-"

"You are the best older brother we can ask for, Haku-nii. Don't ever doubt yourself." Hinata chided as she walked up to me and forced me to look at her in the eyes. "You are our niisan."

"Haku-nii! Help! Hanabi-chan is going to murder me! Help save your imouto from your wife!"

"_NARUTO_! Another word out of that mouth of yours and I will sew it shut for you!"

Just at that moment, the door opened.

"Naruto, what time do you want to-" Kushina-shishou paused in her words when she saw how Hanabi and Naruto are tussling about on the floor and looked at the three of us instead.

"Do I want to know what is going on?"

"Kaa-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as she finally wriggled herself free from Hanabi's grasp. "Can't you be Haku-nii's godmother or something? Then he will have to accept the fact that he is my niisan!"

I facepalmed at Naruto's words. No words can describe how stupid this whole thing is. There's _no way_ Kushina-shishou will-

"That's…" Kushina breathed out with widened eyes as she slammed a fist into her opened palm. "A **GREAT** idea!"

"Kushina-shishou!" I shouted out even before I can think through it. "This is a _bad_ idea!"

"And why?" Kushina-shishou asked with a questioning look. "You did learn our family technique from Minato, that makes you one of us as well."

I opened my mouth only to close it shut again. It is a foreign concept that I still have trouble getting used to, but shinobis' idea of familial ties can be very complicated and yet also very casual, depending on which family you are looking at. In the Uzumakis' case, learning some of their family techniques is enough to qualify me as one of them. I had learnt numerous Uzumaki-style sealing techniques and the Rasengan from them. In their eyes, this is enough for them to consider me as part of their little family even if I am not related to them by blood.

Their clan, their family, their rules. In the shinobi society, no one but the family in question has any say when it comes to familial matters, even if it is the Hokage. This is the societal norm here.

They got me into a corner. There's no way this isn't planned out beforehand. Minato-shishou, Kushina-shishou, and Naruto had definitely planned a trap for me and I just walked straight into it.

Well played. Well played indeed.

"I don't think Otou-sama will mind, Haku-nii." Hanabi gave me a slap on my shoulder from behind with that cheeky grin of hers. She is enjoying herself _way_ too much. "He will probably just nod his head and go along with it."

"There's no way you guys didn't plan this out." I replied with an involuntary twitch of my left eye. "This timing is too perfect for it to be anything else."

"Hanabi-chan! You are supposed to call Haku-nii your anata!"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Hanabi hissed as her face turned beet red once again. "We are nothing like that! Right, Nee-san?"

"You two will definitely get married to each other with how close you two are. It's just a matter of when." Hinata betrayed her twin with a calm tone.

Should I just teleport myself out of here with an ice mirror? It sounds like a really tempting idea right about now.

"Ah, ah." Kushina-shishou grabbed me by my shoulder as she somehow sensed my thoughts. "You are not leaving today until I officially made you my godson. I already sent a Shadow Clone to Hiashi to get his approval. It won't take long."

And **HOW** did she do that without us seeing her making a clone? Did she make one even before she appeared?

"I don't even know why you want to do this. I am a failure as a son." I muttered to myself quietly under my breath. I know refusing Kushina-shishou in any way or form is a lost cause when she has set her mind on something, but making me her godson is a totally different matter.

Even if it is one that is not related to me by blood, I don't want to have another mother only to lose her again. Once is enough.

"You are **not** a failure. I had never met your mother but I know she is definitely proud of you, wherever she may be." Kushina-shishou spun me around to face her and knelt down to face me at eye level. "I don't want to replace your mother, but what I can do is to care for you in her place, to help her help **_you_** where she couldn't. Minato and I had told you time and time again that we view you as our own son. Can you give me this chance to be your godmother, Haku?"

"You are giving me too much, Kushina-shishou. Don't give me hope. It will make me despair even more if I lose it again."

"I won't die, if that is what you are worried about. Both Minato and I will stay alive long enough to see you and Hanabi produce grandkids for us, so rid your mind of any negative thoughts."

"Hanabi and I aren't-"

"If you two say you don't at least have feelings for each other, then I might as well claim that I hate eating ramen." Kushina cut off my words as she shoved me and Hanabi together and enveloped us in a hug from behind. "You two are still young, so abstain from sex until you guys are older, ok? I don't want to be a grandmother until at least a few years later."

"KUSHINA-SHISHOU!"

"KUSHINA-SAN!"

"It's Kushina-_kaachan_ for you, Haku. No more of the 'shishou' that you like to call us by, we have long since passed this formality crap. And- oh! I just got Hiashi's permission with my Shadow Clone." Kushina waved a finger at me with a smug smile on her face. "He even said that I might as well go all the way and make Minato your godfather too. So, there. Welcome to the Uzumakis, Haku."

"You are all insane."

"_Haku-niiiii_." Naruto whined as she somehow glomped me from the side. "Don't worry! You will get used to it soon enough!"

"**_That_** is exactly what I am worried about."

"Does that make us Naruto's siblings too?" Hinata asked in curiosity with a tilt of her head.

"Yup!" Kushina nodded her head happily. "Might as well! The more the merrier!"

I continue to let them do the talking as Kushina-shishou, or _Kushina-kaachan_ now (_Damn it Hiashi, why did you agree to this madness?_), continue to hold me in a hug as she chatters on with the Hyuga siblings and Naruto. Despite the initial unwillingness on my part, I cannot stop the small smile forming on my face.

I have another family now. I have one in the form of the Hyugas and another in the form of the Uzumakis. This time, I will make sure that my families will live.

I won't let the same tragedy happen to any of them again.

* * *

"Haku-nii! Don't go!"

Naruto purposely put on a cute pout on her face as she physically dragged her new brother back to Hanabi's room.

She is having a sleepover with new friends/siblings! At their house too! In Hanabi's room no less! She has some of the best hair accessories to try out! It is going to be fun!

Okay, they aren't _new_ friends per say, but this is the first time that she is spending time to bond with the Hyuga siblings that isn't time spent studying in the academy or in their study group! It is something to be happy about dattebayo!

Before this, the only times she had a sleepover will be at the teme's house since their families are so close to each other. Her mother and the teme's mother are the best of friends, so naturally, she knew teme and Itachi-nii extremely well due to the number of times they visited each other's house. She is good friends with her other fellow genins, but they are not that close to the extent that they will have a sleepover at each other's house.

If there is one thing that the teme has that she never got, it is having a sibling.

The teme has an obvious brother complex. He practically idolises Itachi and worships the ground he walked on. Itachi is also a very good older brother to Sasuke, so Naruto can see why Sasuke adored his older brother so much. The teme and Itachi have a very close sibling relationship. A relationship so close that it often left Naruto wondering if she has a sibling, will she be as close to him or her like how the teme and Itachi are to each other?

Naruto never said it out loud for fear of hurting her mother's heart. She knew that the physical damage her mother experienced from the forceful extraction of the furry fox had left her incapable of producing more children. Naruto had also never blamed her mother for putting a furry legendary beast in her own gut but living the life of a jinchuriki still isn't pleasant. It is a lot better now, but Naruto still can't help but think how different life will be for her if it wasn't her parents protecting her from the harsh glares and hurtful remarks for all these years.

She doesn't want to imagine what kind of life that will be.

Despite her status as a jinchuriki, Naruto knows that she leads a comfortable and relatively sheltered life even by shinobi standards. She is grateful for it. However, even with all the good things she experienced in life, Naruto still can't push away the small lingering jealousy in her heart.

She wants a sibling as well. A younger one sounds good; she can be the overprotective older sister. Having an older sibling will be even better. She likes the feeling of having someone slightly older than her looking after her even more.

If only she has a brother like Sasuke's Itachi. Life will be perfect.

Maybe her longing for a sibling was a little too obvious, but her father had somehow decided to teach Haku the Rasengan, their family technique. The rest fell into place right after she and her mother knew about it. Her mother had always wanted a boy if she ever has the lucky chance to be with child once more and Naruto herself had always wanted another sibling.

They practically jumped at the opportunity to pull Haku into their little family. Now, she has an older brother to call her own, even if it is a very reluctant one that got tricked into being one.

Naruto had spotted it immediately on the very first day she had met Haku at the academy. It is all written in his eyes as plain as day even with that unreadable passive look on his face.

He is a very lonely person. It is the same look in her eyes that she had when she was younger. If she didn't have her parents, if she didn't have Mikoto oba-san and Fugaku oji-san, if she didn't have the teme and Itachi by her side when she was younger, that same look would probably still be there.

Haku is someone who knows what loneliness is.

Thankfully, he has an undying supporter in the form of Hanabi and she is someone that Haku will trust without question. If it wasn't for her, there's no telling what Haku will become with his self-destructive behaviour. Naruto doesn't want someone else to go through what she did before her loved ones pulled her out of the bottomless pit of loneliness. So, she tried. She had tried to be Haku's friend but Haku was extremely reserved and very antisocial. It takes a lot for him to open up. They were close acquaintances at best even after her best efforts in befriending him throughout their academy years.

Not anymore.

Haku is now her older brother. She finally got herself a sibling!

"Haku-nii! It is a _sleepover_. We should all sleep together!"

"I want my peace and quiet, Naruto. Hanabi is noisy enough, I don't need another equivalent of her."

Naruto didn't let go of the death grip she has over her new brother as she dragged him back to Hanabi's room where they will all be sleeping for the night. Hanabi and Hinata had pulled a very unwilling Neji over as well.

"Yay! Now that we are all together! Let's have a PILLOW FIGHT! A sleepover is not a sleepover without a pillow fight!"

Hanabi is already raring to go with the number of pillows she had stocked up from somewhere and bouncing up and down on her bed. Hinata just gave the demure giggle of hers but she took a few pillows for herself as well.

"Haku-nii and I will destroy the two of you, believe it!"

"Who says I am participating?"

"I did! Haku-nii, quick! Grab the good pillows before the twins take them all!"

"Why don't you just multiply your pillows with your Shadow Clone? I am pretty sure there is an application of the Shadow Clone technique that allows you to multiply shurikens, you should be able to do the same thing to pillows as well."

"That's-" Naruto felt her face lighting up in joy and realisation just as she can see Hanabi's and Hinata's jaws dropping in fear at Haku's words. "- a brilliant idea!"

"Right, so leave me out of this pillow fight. If there's nothing else, I am going back to _my_ room to-"

Haku's words were cut off as a pillow came soaring to where his head once was. Haku had ducked his head to avoid getting hit by the pillow, but more of them quickly came.

"Oi, cut it out!" Haku said in an annoyed tone as he dodged the pillows by reflex. "It's late and I want to go back to my room to sleep!"

"It's every man for himself!" Hanabi gave an excited cheer before she skilfully threw her pillows at Hinata and Naruto, who wasted no time dodging it and then returning fire. "The Fourth Shinobi World War, pillow version, starts now!"

"I am not participating in this nonsensical-"

Neji's words were also interrupted prematurely as a pillow came soaring from his back, courtesy of a Shadow Clone of Naruto. He would have been hit if it wasn't for the range of vision his byakugan provides and alerted him to the danger of the projectile of doom.

"Get Neji-nii!"

"No, get Haku-nii! He is making his escape!"

"Get them all!"

"Pillow Style: Pillow Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"God damn it Naruto! I gave you this idea to use it against **_them_**, not me!"

A huge barrage of pillows came flying at Haku as he blocked it with a pane of ice as large as his person. He made to get out of the room with a shunshin, but Hinata was faster and cut off his exit with a well-aimed pillow, forcing him to change his direction.

"Don't make me use my mirrors. None of you will survive the pillow war the moment I get serious."

The only reply to Haku's statement was a combined attack from the three girls as they fired the pillows at Haku while laughing and giggling away.

This is so fun!

Haku dashed to hide behind Neji, who was taken aback by this unexpected move of betrayal and nearly got hit in the face by a stray pillow (_where did all these pillows even came from?_). Seeing that the only way to defend himself from the pillow barrage short of using the Kaiten is to fight pillows with pillows (_Because Hiashi will be **really** angry if the room gets destroyed because of a pillow fight_), Neji swiftly picked one up from the floor and used it to deflect every incoming pillow at them.

Thank kami for Guy-sensei's insistence on making him learn the basics of various weaponry. Neji is never going to argue with his idiotic and crazy sensei in this matter anymore, not after this. Neji isn't sure how he would have survived the combined assault from Hinata, Hanabi, and Naruto otherwise.

This is absolutely crazy. How can a pillow fight get so intense?!

"Guys vs girls! Let's go!"

"Stop it! We didn't agree to this madness!"

"Too late, Neji-nii!"

Hanabi shot a pillow at Haku with a powerful throw that he was forced to block with another pillow. Hinata jumped up to the ceiling and stuck herself there with an application of chakra before throwing her pillows at the guys from above. Naruto spammed clones of pillows at the two boys, who are forced to dodge the pillows instead of defending with their jutsus if they don't want to blow up the entire room with it.

Hiashi will be really angry if that happens.

"Alright, **that's it**. I'm ending this."

Haku sped forward in a burst of speed and a single pillow in hand. Naruto could swear that her adoptive brother's eyes are glinting with an eerie light as he did that.

**BONK! BONK! BONK!**

The three girls clutched their heads as Haku used the pillow in his hand and smacked them at the top of their head. How did he get so fast?! They didn't even have the time to react!

"Haku! Lighter! Do you even have any sense of chivalry?!"

"Hanabi, you threw your pillows with the same force as you throw your shurikens."

"But I am a girl! You are supposed to go easier on us!"

**BONK!**

"Like I care."

"Ha-"

**BONK!**

"HAKU!"

**BONK!**

"I think I can now see why you girls enjoy this so much. It _is_ therapeutic." Haku said with a wry grin on his face as he interrupted Hanabi's every attempt to retort with a bonk on her head using the pillow in his hand.

"Haku-nii! Don't go!" Naruto latched onto Haku's leg the moment he starts to leave and purposely wailed like a spoiled brat. She finally has an older brother and she **will** get him to spend time with her dattebayo!

"I will be _next door_. There's no need for me to be here. You girls are crazy." Haku said with an annoyed twitch of his eye and resumed his attempt to leave the room. Neji gave him a pat on the back as a show of agreement and support.

However, Haku suddenly found himself unable to take another step.

"Neji, what did you just place on my back?"

"A sealing tag that immobilises the target for a few hours. Naruto passed it to me earlier." Neji replied coolly as he opened the door and made his exit. "There, my job here is done. Have fun bonding with your new sister, _Haku-nii_."

"Neji, you traitor. Just you wait. I will make your hair sparkle with glitters, I swear it."

"I will be waiting for that day. _Haku-nii_."

"I hate all of you."

Naruto allowed a genuine laugh to escape her mouth. This is not really what she had in mind when it comes to spending time with her new older brother, but this works too!

Haku's antisocial mask won't fool her. He will definitely try to be the best older brother to her even if he was saddled with this unexpected status from nowhere. She will be the best little sister to him too.

Even if they aren't related by blood, she has an older brother now. They are family now.

Life is perfect.


	13. Chapter 13- Prodigies of the Hyuga Clan

"Booooooorriiiiinnnnng."

Ino booed at Shikamaru the moment he made his way back to the stands after his fight with Temari. That Suna girl sure made him work for it, but he was _sooooo_ close!

What a troublesome woman.

"Your match was boring, but you could have won if you had put in just a _little_ more effort into it, Shika." Ino said as she used her index finger and thumb to illustrate her point by narrowing the distance between the two until a small gap was left. "You were **_so_** close."

"At least he made it to the third stage, pig."

"What did you say, forehead?"

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered before taking a seat and slumped in it. "Why am I even in the exams?"

"So that you have a chance to be chunin?" Sai supplied helpfully with that permanent fake smile on his face. "Or maybe because Asuma-sensei entered you guys even without asking for your opinion?"

"More like the latter." Asuma said with a good-natured laugh that the other senseis followed. The senseis are also all gathered in the same area as their students although they had claimed a corner for themselves beside their students. Some of their other jonin friends are here as well. Even Rin is here.

Shikamaru glanced back at the resident artist in Team 13. His team and Team 7 had made amends with Team 13 and Haku, but there is still an awkward atmosphere between them even if the wielder of ice had given them his forgiveness. The only person that is not bothered by the awkwardness is Naruto, whose family had somehow managed to let the notoriously stoic Hiashi agree to let the two Uzumaki-Namikaze adults be Haku's godparents.

"Go Neji nii-san! Show them that the Hyuga clan has the better dojutsu!"

"Hn. The sharingan is better." Sasuke gave his clan's trademark grunt as he and Neji both start to make their way down to the arena for their coming battle.

"I have to agree with my cousin there." Obito said with an exaggerated nod.

"Don't you dare lose, teme! I want to fight you in the finals!"

"Beat Sasuke, my eternal rival! Only then we can have our most youthful-"

Lee's loud encouragement went unheard by the two prodigies as they jumped down to the arena.

This is a battle between the prodigies of the Hyuga and Uchiha clan. There has always been a 'friendly' rivalry between the two clans due to their respective dojutsu, but never were there a match as public as this to determine which dojutsu is stronger.

Their clan's honour now rests on their shoulders. This is no longer just about them alone; this is now about the honour of their clan.

What is Kizashi playing at to purposely pit the two prodigies from two rival clans together in this exam?

"Ne, Haku. Who do you think will win?"

"I can't say for sure." Haku admitted to Hanabi as the rest of the Konoha 15 listened on. Haku had always been a very insightful individual with a keen eye for details. There's always a good reason on why he has certain opinions on certain issues.

"It really boils down to who can utilise their clan techniques better. Both the Uchiha and Hyuga clan techniques have their own strengths and weaknesses. It is like asking you to decide whether a sword or a spear is a better weapon. You can't. They are both deadly weapons despite the differences. The strength of the weapons ultimately rests on the wielder."

"Don't sit on the fence, Haku. Just tell us who you think will win." Hanabi said in an annoyed tone as she leaned against the railing and peering down at the arena below with Haku beside her.

"If Neji is truly capable of using the true ways of the Gentle Fist, then Sasuke won't stand a chance. If Neji didn't managed to learn it, then Sasuke will definitely win."

"Since when do you know about the true ways of the Gentle Fist? And no one has been able to use the true ways of the Gentle Fist in like forever, not even Otou-sama. And didn't Otou-sama tell you to address him as your father as well?"

"Hanabi, to me, the word 'father' is a word that is synonymous with that murderer. Even I don't call Minato-san by that and he is my godfather."

"…Sorry."

"It's alright."

"If anyone is capable of achieving the feat in using the true ways of the Gentle Fist, it will be Neji nii-san." Hinata broke the awkward atmosphere as she stood by her siblings. "Neji nii-san is a genius. He will succeed where the rest of us fail."

"Is it that hard to use the '_true ways of the Gentle Fist'_?" Kiba asked curiously with an air quote motion of his fingers. "This is the first time I had even heard of it."

"It is not exactly a secret, but not many people outside our clan will know about it since currently, no one in our clan is capable of using it, including me, Hanabi, and even our father. It is just that hard to achieve it. I don't know if Otou-sama trained Neji nii-san to attempt to achieve that level of power during this one month, but if anyone can do it, it is Neji nii-san. He is a true prodigy in every sense of the word."

"Not even your father achieved it?"

Hinata gave a nod of affirmation.

Whatever words anyone else within their group wanted to say was cut off as the match between Sasuke and Neji finally started. Neji immediately went in to engage Sasuke in a taijutsu bout but Sasuke shot fireballs at him for Neji to keep his distance. Anyone who knows what a Hyuga is capable of will never want to engage them in a taijutsu fight.

"Go Neji nii-san!" Hanabi cheered excitedly from where she is and waved her hands at her cousin who is a small dot on the arena below. "Beat the emo out of Sasuke!"

"Go teme! Don't you dare lose!"

* * *

_Dodge, deflect, throw a shuriken, jab, jump, kick._

Neji systematically bulldoze his way through Sasuke's fire-based jutsus as he tries to force his Uchiha opponent into a taijutsu fight. If he can force Sasuke into one, victory will be his to claim.

Sasuke had obviously been through rigorous training for this exam. The list of jutsus that he is able to use had obviously grown and his physical speed is now a lot faster. His moves are a lot more fluid which means his taijutsu is also definitely a lot better now.

_Kai!_

Neji broke the genjutsu Sasuke had tried to put on him with his sharingan. The byakugan sees through everything, a genjutsu of that level will not fool his eyes.

"Fire Release: Great Flame Flower!"

A multitude of fireballs rain down on Neji's location as he used a Kaiten to defend himself from the fiery inferno. Sasuke couldn't possibly have that much stamina to spam jutsus on this level just as he doesn't have as much stamina to keep using Kaiten repeatedly. They may be opponents in this match, but there is one thing the both of them can definitely agree on right now.

This match has to be quick. Their jutsus are just that chakra intensive for the both of them to sustain for long. This will no longer be a problem when they grow older and their chakra reserves got bigger, but they don't have such a luxury right at this moment.

The winner of this match will be decided within minutes.

A flurry of shurikens emerged from the flames as Neji whipped out a kunai each in both his hands and deflect them all. With his byakugan, he can see Sasuke climbing the tall walls of the arena and going through hand seals with a scroll in hand.

For his age, Sasuke's chakra reserves is by no means small. If even Sasuke needs a scroll to help him with his next jutsu, that jutsu must be a very chakra intensive and potent one. Some shinobis do employ the use of scrolls to help them in using the more chakra intensive jutsus. It is not a common or favoured practice, but it does have its use when you don't have much chakra to spare. Kakashi-sensei is well-known for keeping a few scrolls on his person to help him with the Summoning Technique even if he is capable of summoning his hounds without the help of scrolls. Naruto had also mentioned that Kakashi-sensei had used that particular method in their team's scuffle against Zabuza to summon his pack of ninja hounds during their team's botched up C-rank mission.

"Uchiha Flame Formation!"

An enormous cylindrical barrier of flames erupted around Neji and caged him within. The only entrance and exit to his flaming prison is the singular small opening in the direction where Sasuke is at. Sasuke is going through another set of hand seals at a rapid speed and Neji can see how much chakra Sasuke is concentrating into his left hand with the use of his byakugan.

That is definitely an extremely dangerous technique given the amount of chakra Sasuke is pouring into it.

"Chidori!"

Called it.

The sound of chirping birds resonated across the entire stadium along with the surprised gasps of the spectators. This is the famed technique of Hatake Kakashi, the Purple Lightning of Konoha. The destructive powers of his signature jutsu is known far and wide throughout the Elemental Nations.

Neji got himself into a stance as he braced himself. That jutsu is a frightening one to face if you are on the receiving end of it, but this isn't the end of the world. His clan head and uncle had personally trained him for the exams.

With his uncle's help, he had finally managed to step into the realms where only a few in their clan before him managed to. With his uncle's help, he had finally begun to grasp and understand the true ways of the Gentle Fist. It is a power of their taijutsu style that only a select few Hyugas had managed to reach and achieve in their clan's history. You don't need to have overwhelming strength to possess this power. You just need a lot of talent and skill to comprehend it, qualities that only a lucky few are born with in their clan's history.

He is one such lucky individual.

The true ways of the Gentle Fist is available to all Hyuga clansmen regardless of their status as a main or branch house member. However, this aspect of their clan technique cannot be truly taught or explained even from those who had achieved it, it must be felt and experienced. It is like coming to a sudden realisation and also a little like achieving nirvana and reaching your inner peace. This elusive and unexplainable aspect of the Gentle Fist is why only so few of their clansmen throughout their history had managed to learn and use it in combat.

As it is, all jutsus will fall before the might of the Gentle Fist style Neji will be using from now onwards. Currently, the Hyugas may be weaker than the Uchihas when it comes to a contest of strength between the two clans, but that does not mean that the Hyuga's jutsus and techniques are inferior.

Their clan's true powers are just that much harder to unlock.

Sasuke dashed towards Neji in a burst of speed with lightning crackling in his hand. The Uchiha Flame Formation had trapped Neji in with no way out and Neji is not confident that the Kaiten can stop the sheer offensive power of the Chidori. There is only one way left.

Neji met Sasuke's charge with his own, chakra flaring from his hands as his byakugan revealed to him the best way to stop Sasuke's jutsu.

"Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher"

The more powerful variation of the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm unleashed a powerful wave of chakra that sent everything in its way to fly away from the blast. Like Neji had predicted, Sasuke cut through the wall of chakra with his Chidori and continued his charge.

Time to pull off the technique that no other Hyuga had managed to pull off in the last thirty years.

"Eight Trigrams Negation Strike"

To everyone's else visible surprise, Neji went to jab at Sasuke's Chidori with only a small shroud of chakra coating his hand. The shock got even bigger when the Chidori was forcefully cancelled as it sputtered and died.

Neji had stopped the Chidori simply by jabbing his index and middle finger at Sasuke's hand.

"What? How-"

"You are in my range of divination. Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Sasuke barely managed to escape as he jumped backwards after he forced Neji to abort his attack. What the hell?! How did Neji managed to stop his Chidori with just a simple jab of his fingers?! How are his fingers not fried after that?!

Neji walked out of the flames surprisingly unscathed.

"Allow me to let you in on something, Sasuke." Neji spoke calmly as he adopted a taijutsu stance. "It seems that most of Konoha had forgotten about it since the last known user of this style had passed away more than thirty years ago, but the true strength of the Gentle Fist is not restricted to simply shutting down our opponent's chakra pathways like what many believed."

Sasuke didn't bother replying as he popped a Soldier Pill into his mouth to replenish his diminishing reserves. He will feel the side-effects after the exams are over, but right now he needs all the extra boost he can get. It is time to unleash his more destructive jutsus.

"The true strength of the Gentle Fist is to negate all forms of chakra. This is why our clan had never bothered to learn anything outside of our taijutsu style. There isn't a point to it. A highly advanced user of the Gentle Fist can destroy any chakra-based substance with the Gentle Fist, but a true practitioner of the Gentle Fist can negate any ninjutsu with a single touch and our eyes can see through most genjutsus. It doesn't matter **_what_** it is. As long as it is made with chakra, our Gentle Fist **_can_** destroy and negate it completely as long as I have the amount of chakra required to do so. It's just that not many in our clan's history have the ability to grasp the workings behind it. Unfortunately for you, I just did. I am not yet a master in it, but it is enough to defeat you."

Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily at the revelation and the implications behind Neji's words. If what Neji said is true, then the repertoire of ninjutsu that he knows is now useless in the face of Neji's Gentle Fist since a touch is all he needs to negate it. Genjutsu is out of the question since the byakugan can see through most illusions, he had also tested that out earlier. Neji isn't boasting about the byakugan's ability to break through genjutsus.

He is now forced into a taijutsu match with the Hyuga genius.

"I have nothing against you, and like Haku-nii, I think that the rivalry between our clans to see who has the strongest dojutsu is a stupid one. However, my clan's pride now rests on my shoulders and it is time to remind the world the true strength of the Hyugas since right now, I am the only person in my clan capable of utilising this aspect of our clan technique. You, a ninjutsu specialist, are simply unlucky to have me as your opponent."

Sasuke prepared himself for the inevitable taijutsu bout that he is forced to take part in as Neji dashed at him with a burst of speed. The flames of the Uchiha Flame Formation had died down since the chakra used to sustain it from the scroll is now used up.

Sasuke fired the first attack as he spits a volley of small fireballs at Neji with Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Neji didn't falter in his charge, but merely coated his hands in chakra once more and diffused each of the incoming fireballs with a single touch.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the confirmation of Neji's claim. His fireballs were indeed negated with a single touch.

The two prodigies engaged each other in a series of blows the moment Neji closed the distance. Sasuke is able to match Neji briefly due to the enhanced insight provided to him with his sharingan, but he soon found himself in a disadvantageous position as Neji's blows began to overwhelm him.

Neji is known as a taijutsu prodigy for a reason.

A jab of Neji's fingers at Sasuke's left arm caused it to go limp immediately. Another few jabs on his torso sent Sasuke flying back and crashing into the ground from the unexpected force.

No matter how much he tried, Sasuke is just unable to get back up again. He can't even feel his chakra within him. Damn it! He is his father's son and the child of a clan head! This is making his entire clan look bad!

_Stand up, Uchiha Sasuke!_

A tap of Neji's fingers on his shoulder sent him falling down face first into the dirt once more.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but this is what it is."

"**Winner: Hyuga Neji!**"

The crowd roared at the announcement of the victor from the sickly proctor, Gekko Hayate. Neji knelt down and began to undo the damage he dealt onto Sasuke with a few taps of his fingers. In a show of sportsmanship, Neji gave Sasuke a helping hand and helped him stand on his feet once more.

"The next time we fight, I will not lose."

"I will be looking forward to our rematch, Sasuke."

The crowd exploded into cheers and applause once more as Neji and Sasuke did the seal of reconciliation to show that whatever animosity between them in this match is now gone. The two clan prodigies joined hands and raised it up together as a sign of unity between the two dojutsu-wielding clans, giving the crowd another chance to go wild with their cheers and screaming. Their respective clan members had all stood up and gave their heartfelt applause to both genins for the wonderful display they had just put up. Sasuke heaved a mental sigh of relief when he spotted his parents and brother. His father has a small smile on his face despite his loss. He is not angry at him for losing.

Furthermore, the two genins can also see their Hokage giving a near unnoticeable yet obvious approving nod at their actions with a small smile on his face.

It was only then that the two prodigies realised just what the Hokage is playing at to pit the two prodigies from the rival clans together. It was to show to the world that despite their individual differences and rivalry between their clans, Konoha is united as a whole.

Whoever wants to mess with Konoha will have to face the combined might of _all_ of the clans that reside in Konoha. It will be foolish to even think about trying to provoke dissent between clans to cause disharmony in Konoha because it will **not** work.

Konoha is strong. This is the first shinobi village to be founded and there is a good reason why it still stands at the top of all the other shinobi villages after three world wars. Haruno Kizashi is making a statement to the world to tell anyone who has funny ideas to _back off_.

Neji gave another subtle glance at the Kage box. The Kazekage and the Raikage are also here to spectate the match of their village's genin(s) that had made it to the last stage of the exams. There's no way they didn't catch the hidden and subtle middle finger that their Hokage is giving them with the display he and Sasuke had put up earlier.

Haku is right. The rivalry between their clans is a stupid one. This match isn't even important.

Hanabi's match will be next. That is the important one considering who she is facing. Her next opponent is skilled but Hanabi is a genius in her own right. Neji doesn't know what Hanabi had done in preparation for her match, but he doesn't doubt that she will win.

"Neji, why is there a seal on the back of your neck?" Sasuke questioned curiously when a small paper seal revealed itself when Neji's long hair shifted a little from its usual position. "Did you put it there yourself? What is it for, if you don't mind me asking?"

Sasuke's sudden question got Neji very alarmed. Who put a seal on the back of his _neck_ of all places without him knowing?! When did this happen?! This is dangerous!

Neji quickly tore off the paper seal from his neck and made to throw it away but it was too late.

**BOOM!**

"G-Glitters?"

Neji can only look at his entire body, which is now covered in sparkling pink glitters from top to toe, including his hair.

His **HAIR**.

He can already imagine how long it will take for him to get rid of all the glitters from his perfectly maintained hair.

"**_Haku_**…"

Neji let out an uncharacteristic threatening growl as he activated his byakugan and spotted his adoptive older brother up on the spectator's stand. Haku is sporting a rare mischievous grin.

"At least no one will be forgetting about you and our match anytime soon." Sasuke added in dry humour as they both quickly made their way back to the stands. The crowd is already roaring in laughter at Neji's predicament and Neji doesn't want to remain standing in the arena under the crowd's gaze in this pink sparkling state.

The worst part is that he will probably have to continue his subsequent matches in this state since there's no way to get rid of all the glitter in time. Should he just quit now to save himself the embarrassment?

Damn it, Haku. Why go through on your promise now of all times?! Can't you just wait until the matches are over?!

* * *

"HAHAHAHA! Did you see Neji nii-san's face? HAHAHAHA!"

"Good job, Haku!" Obito-sensei gave me an approving pat on my back as he too burst out in laughter with Hanabi and the rest of our little group. "I have always known that you have potential as a fellow prankster!"

That's what Neji gets for sticking me with the girls with that stupid sealing tag. Thankfully, Naruto has bucket loads of glitters to spare, especially the sparkling pink ones. These glitters are leftovers from her prankster days and she was very eager to help me with my revenge.

Revenge is sweet.

"**_Haku-nii_**."

Neji and Sasuke made their reappearance back to where we are at and the entire group roared in laughter once more when the sparkling pink Hyuga genius appeared once again with a low growl.

"Get **_this_** off me. I know you can do it."

"You sealed my movements for two hours that other night. The glitter will also only be there for two hours. Relax and have some fun, Neji. It is only _two hours_."

Neji is visibly shaking in annoyance as the laughter around us escalated in volume. Even someone as stoic as Kakashi-sensei is laughing at Neji's plight.

Got to appreciate how useful seals are.

The scoreboard at the centre of the arena blinked as it updated the results of the battles thus far.

_Nara Shikamaru vs Temari_\- **Winner: Temari**

_Uchiha Sasuke vs Hyuga Neji_\- **Winner: Hyuga Neji**

_Hyuga Hanabi vs Omoi_

_Yuki Haku vs Gaara_

_Aburame Shino vs Shimura Sai_

_Uzumaki Naruto vs Rock Lee_

Hanabi will be fighting Omoi from Kumo. We have nothing against Omoi, but the both of us have a special form of resentment towards that particular village that he comes from. Hanabi is going to get very vicious in her battle later.

"Cheer for me, people!" Hanabi waved her hands excitedly as she started to climb and sit on the railings. She is definitely too lazy to take the stairs. "Wish me luck!"

"All the best, nabi-chan!" Obito-sensei waved back with equal enthusiasm from where he is sitting beside Rin and Kakashi. "Show them the results of your training!"

"Ne, Haku, any words of encouragement?" Hanabi turned around with that usual cheeky look of hers as she sat on the railings.

"I will laugh at you forever if you lose."

"Haku! What kind of encouragement is that?!"

"You two can stop flirting now, Mr and Mrs Yuki. I have read that-"

"**Shut up, Sai**."

"Sensei, I think my heart is broken." Sai turned around to Obito-sensei with a dead look on his face. "Why does my teammates treat me in this manner all the time? I am only telling them the truth."

"My poor Sai-kun! Come to your sensei! Your sensei will give you a healing hug!" Obito-sensei wailed out dramatically as he opened his arms wide and glomped the expressionless Sai. Somehow, waterfalls worth of tears is spilling out of his eyes. Did he learn that from Gai-sensei? Is there a jutsu for it? Seems likely.

I am trying very hard not to freeze my idiotic sensei and teammate into cubes of ice right now.

"Haku-nii! When are you proposing to Hanabi-chan?"

"Shut up, Naruto."

"Remember to invite us to your wedding too, alright?" Kiba hollered out as Akamaru woofed in agreement at his partner's words. Team 10 is already too busy laughing out loud with the other senseis. Even Team Gai joined in.

"That would be nice. Why? Because-"

I release a sudden chill that got everyone in the vicinity to clamp their mouths shut.

"**_Shut. Up_**. Before I freeze everyone here into ice cubes and dump you into the Naka River."

"_Awww_, Haku-chan is _embarrassed_!" My sensei with an obvious lack of self-preservation cooed at me and Hanabi from his location. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Haku-chan, nabi-chan! In fact-"

"I'M OUT OF HERE! BYE!"

Hanabi escaped by immediately jumping down into the arena from the railings to face her opponent in battle.

Traitor.

"_AWW_! Even nabi-chan is flushing! So cute! I should really- AHHH! Haku! Not the face! NOT THE FACE! DON'T FREEZE MY FACE!"

* * *

"Take a deep breath, in… out… in… out…"

Hanabi mumbled to herself the moment she landed onto the arena below and took deep breaths to calm herself down and get rid of the flush on her face.

Stupid sensei and stupid Sai. Can they not expose her thoughts every single time they are together? Have they no considerations whatsoever to a maiden's heart? She is a girl! Her skin isn't as thick as guys are!

Haku is still the stupidest of them all.

Stupid Haku.

Hanabi put on her stoic Hyuga mask as she walked to the centre of the arena. Her opponent, Omoi from Kumo, is already there waiting for her.

She will destroy him. She will destroy anyone from Kumo if she has the chance to do so. They had hurt Haku enough. The scars on his arms are a constant reminder to them on how close they were from being captured as slaves.

Haku had nearly died trying to save her. She herself would be Kumo's slave if she didn't have the fortunate luck of meeting Haku in Kiri.

Omoi gave her a small polite nod as she walked up and stood opposite him a few meters away, a gesture that Hanabi ignored. Right now, she couldn't be bothered about manners and decorum. She couldn't care less even if this Omoi guy is a genuinely nice guy despite the village he came from.

He is from Kumo, that is enough reason for her to fight with the intent to kill.

Kumo had hurt Haku.

**They will pay.**

The crowd had gone deathly silent. It is no secret that she was kidnapped and Kumo had almost succeeded in their plans. How she made her way back to Konoha is a secret to anyone outside of their village, but everyone in this stadium knows enough about the Hyuga clan's hatred towards Kumo shinobis in general.

And right now, a Kumo genin is being pitted against her.

"Are the two of you ready?" The proctor asked as he looked at the two of them. Omoi gave a nod while Hanabi simply activated her dojutsu in response.

**"Match start!"**

The proctor jumped back just as Hanabi dashed towards Omoi. Omoi had drawn his blade which is now coated with electricity and slashed at Hanabi. Hanabi ducked and unleashed a Vacuum Palm which Omoi dodged. Omoi leapt back and began to run through several hand seals.

"Lightning Release Bullet: Powerful Breath!"

A condensed surge of lightning appeared in Omoi's fist and he punched in Hanabi's direction. A powerful lightning bolt was unleashed as it tore the ground open and launched itself towards Hanabi.

"Kaiten!"

Hanabi defended herself with the move her father and cousin had both found time to teach her shortly after she became genin. It's time.

Time to let Kumo taste their own medicine.

* * *

"Nabi-chan is about to use **_that_** now. Keep your eyes peeled, Haku-chan, Sai-kun. Hanabi is really strong now. She is a genius. She took only one month to achieve the same proficiency that I did in two years."

"Just what did you teach her?" I asked in curiosity as I looked at my goofy sensei. He is very excited at watching Hanabi's match and had moved out of his seat to lean on the railings to get a better look. Rin is also equally curious; it seems that he had kept this a secret even from her. Their actions had also got the entire group extremely curious.

"My specialty: Fire nature transformation. I taught her a number of fire jutsus as well."

"But didn't Neji said that Hyugas don't learn any other forms of jutsus other than the Gentle Fist since they don't need them?" Tenten asked curiously as she voiced the question that everyone has in their heads.

"Hanabi will never reach the same proficiency in the Gentle Fist as what Neji did. I know that, Hiashi-sama knows that, nabi-chan herself knows that. Nabi-chan has always been a very smart girl, but her true talent lies in her ability to control and transform her chakra however she wishes. Her chakra control is exceptional even by the Hyugas' standards."

"But Hinata's chakra control isn't bad either!" Ino said in reply. "And how will having good chakra control help her now?"

"Like her name, Hanabi is like an exploding firework. Funnily enough, her chakra is also fire-natured, the same as mine. Also, I said that she is able to control _and transform_ her chakra perfectly, it is not exactly the same thing as chakra control even if they are very similar."

"You mean she is able to change the nature of her chakra and master it in a very short amount of time." I deduced the unsaid words from what Obito-sensei is revealing to us. "You taught her how to master the fire nature transformation in just one month."

"Actually, nabi-chan said that it was your idea to let her use ninjutsu and taijutsu at the same time to be a nintaijutsu user. She said that it was your idea to combine shape and nature transformation into the Hyuga's taijutsu style. Nice idea, by the way. I don't think anyone else had thought of that."

"She mastered fire nature transformation _in a single month_?!" Asuma-sensei asked with a gobsmacked expression on his face and his cigarette dangling from his opened mouth. From the looks that the various senseis and jonins around us are giving Obito-sensei, Obito-sensei didn't tell anyone else about it, not even Rin.

"I _told_ you people she is a genius, didn't I?" Obito said with an extremely smug look on his face. "She didn't manage to master it yet, but it is good enough for this exam. I'm not sure how far she can go a year from now and I really don't want to imagine how destructive she can be when she finally grows into an adult."

"Hanabi does have a love for explosives and anything that goes with a bang." I admitted and shuddered in thought at the reminder of the exploding kunai that had nearly ended my life some years back. "She likes to see things go boom."

"Obito." Kurenai-sensei asked warily from where she is sitting beside Asuma-sensei. "Just what did you teach your genins? Teaching them _fire transformation_ when you only had them for a few months? Are you crazy?! That is chunin or jonin level stuffs!"

"Nabi-chan is the crazy one, not me!"

* * *

_Change the chakra, feel the heat, let it burn. Remember the training, remember the sensation of burning things down._

Hanabi repeated the mantra in her head as she let her chakra transform its nature to fire. Her mastery in chakra control had made it easier for her to manipulate how her chakra flows within her as she spread her chakra evenly throughout her chakra pathways and slowly emit themselves from the various tenketsu points on her body.

Her entire form is sizzling, an indication that she is doing things right.

Hanabi put her hands in a Tiger seal as she started the jutsu that Obito-sensei had helped her to invent and perfect after many sleepless nights for the both of them.

**"Fire Release Chakra Mode!"**

The effect was instantaneous.

Hanabi's surroundings was blown back by the explosive force of power that she released as she coated her body with a raging inferno. The only known user of such a technique is the current and Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure, who uses lightning instead of fire. The theory behind the jutsu is easy enough for any shinobi to understand, but hardly anyone is able to replicate it since the chakra control required to use such a technique is ridiculously absurd. On top of that, the user needs to have a very high level of proficiency in their chakra nature transformation and transform their chakra's nature while controlling their chakra flow with absolute precision simultaneously.

Using this jutsu is like trying to do two different things at once. If she has to make a comparison, it will be like trying to look left and right at the exact same time.

Somehow, she managed it with her sensei's help. She knew her chakra control is good enough to even rival some jonins. Her chakra control had always been the best even among her siblings and she is a genius when it comes to fire nature transformation. It is a talent she didn't knew she had until she approached Obito-sensei with her idea after seeking her father's permission to try this out.

She is going to annihilate the Raikage's genin with a variation of his signature technique.

From what she and Obito-sensei knew, the Fourth Raikage's signature jutsu allows him to increase his physical parameters. His speed, strength, and reaction time are all enhanced in this form which allows him to even match Namikaze Minato in speed although their Yellow Flash is said to be a little faster in this department. The Raikage's lightning armour is also strong enough to deflect most attacks on contact, making it a jutsu that allows its user to possess both strong offense and defense.

Fire may not allow the user to experience lightning fast reactions like electricity can, but it made up for it with the sheer offensive powers it provides. Right now, Hanabi's Gentle Fist is able to burn through anything that stands in her way. Already, the area around her is melting from the heat she is giving out. She is also purposely wearing fireproof clothing in this exam with seals hidden and sewed in her clothing for this very same reason, courtesy of Obito-sensei. It would be embarrassing if her clothes burned off from her own jutsu. Obito-sensei had said that there is a good reason why the Raikage tends to go shirtless whenever he enters combat in his Lightning Release Chakra mode.

With a flicker, Hanabi reappeared in front of the shocked Omoi, who barely managed to deflect her strikes with his sword. Seeing his Kage's signature jutsu being reproduced like that must have been a great shock. The crowd were also temporarily stunned into silence when she first started the jutsu. Even the Raikage had stood up in agitation.

Good. She will use this same power that she now wields to obliterate the Kumo genin. How will the Raikage feel about this? To see a jutsu similar to his being turned upon on his people?

His reaction will be a satisfying one to watch.

"Fire Release: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

Instead of a normal chakra blast, a wall of fire was emitted from Hanabi's palm and pushed Omoi back. Hanabi kept up with her assault, trying to get into physical contact with Omoi to burn his tenketsu points with her fingers. Unlike the usual Gentle Fist taijutsu style, in this mode, a single touch of Hanabi's fingers will burn her target's tenketsu point and render it useless permanently. She can very well cripple him for life. Omoi can say goodbye to his shinobi career once she is done with him.

Omoi isn't letting her the chance to do so as he blocked her strikes with his sword but it is getting increasingly futile. The extreme heat from Hanabi's fire armour is steadily melting the metal blade. Omoi's sword isn't going to hold for long.

Omoi let out a blinding flash of light from his body to try and blind her but Hanabi is not going to fall for such a simple trick. Unlike the stupid Uchihas and some of her equally stupid clansmen, she is not overly reliant on her eyesight in combat. Haku had shown her time and time again in their numerous spars since they were young that it is a bad idea to rely on her sense of sight for everything.

She will not lose.

"KAITEN!"

A flaming tornedo of flames erupted around her as she blew up the entire area with a casual spin. Omoi got himself caught up in it and landed at the far end of the arena with burns sporting throughout his body. Hanabi didn't waste any time and used a shunshin to close the distance, her fingers burning with intense flames and ready to end her opponent in more ways than one.

"I forfeit!"

Hanabi pretended to be unable to stop herself in time as she let her momentum carry her forward. She can always say that it was too late and she was too slow to react anyway. She is pretty sure that the Hokage will back her up on this. No one in Konoha has a favourable view towards Kumo shinobis after the stunt they pulled so many years back.

She wants payback for what they did to her and Haku.

The proctor had tried to interfere but even he is too far away. The heat that she is emitting had forced even him to keep a significant distance away from her during the match. The proctor won't be able to stop her in time.

Good. Just a little more-

There was a sudden presence at her back and Hanabi spun around on reflex to lash out at whoever had sneaked up to her without her realising until it was too late. Not just any random stranger has the capability to get past the byakugan. Whoever it is, this person is dangerous.

A chilly palm caught her wrist despite the amount of hot flames coating it.

"Enough, Hanabi. He had forfeited. There's no need to stoop to their level, don't stain your hands with blood unnecessarily."

"Haku?"

The shock of Haku's appearance caused Hanabi's mind to come to a standstill. It was only a few seconds later when she finally realised that Haku is holding on to her wrist with his bare hand.

Her entire body is still burning with fire.

"You idiot!" Hanabi scolded her crush as she quickly ended her jutsu to prevent it from harming him even further. "Who told you to catch my wrist with your bare hands?! Your-"

"I'm fine, see?" Haku showed her his palm, which had somehow remained undamaged from her flames and Hanabi quickly held it to inspect it further up close. "Your flames need to be hotter than that to hurt me."

"You-! **You IDIOT**!" Hanabi let her worries and exasperation out in the only way she knows how as she conked Haku on the head, only to fail when a small pane of ice got in the way.

"Oi, oi. I have a match coming right up. Don't hurt me."

The proctor had managed to reach Omoi in time while Hanabi is busy tearing into Haku for his seemingly reckless and suicidal move. Hayate stood in between Omoi and the distracted Hyuga heiress. Omoi is still wincing in pain from his burns when the medics on standby reached him and pulled him out of the area. Even when Hayate announced Hanabi as the winner, the Hyuga in question is still trying to maim the last known Yuki, who remained unaffected and unfazed at Hanabi's behaviour.

"Ahem."

A cough from Hayate brought Hanabi out of her funk, who suddenly realised that the entire stadium was watching the debacle.

"Go back up to the stands. It is my turn now." Haku said coolly as he gestured to the stands with a slight twist of his head. "Any words of encouragement before I face the deranged Suna guy in a fight to the death?"

"I will laugh at you forever if you lose." Hanabi threw Haku's earlier words back at him with a glare. She still hasn't fully forgiven him for that act he pulled earlier. He could have gotten his entire hand burnt off!

"You won't have the chance." Haku replied as Gaara appeared not far from where he is with a sand shunshin and a maniacal look in his eyes. Haku simply whispered three words to her as Hanabi took her leave.

Hanabi walked towards the stairs that lead back up to the stands where their friends are, the words Haku had whispered just loud enough for only her to hear resounding in her mind. That alone is enough assurance to her.

_"I will win."_

That idiot. Those three words aren't really the three words she wants to hear, but she will take whatever she gets.

If Haku says that he will win, then he **will** win.

Because she believes in him just as he believes in her.

It is as simple as that.


	14. Chapter 14- Fictional Powers Come Alive

"Finally… I have been waiting for this. I can finally kill you… I CAN FINALLY FEEL ALIVE!"

I didn't bother replying as I gathered my chakra within me silently. There's no point in conversing with Gaara when he's like this. I know what he can be in the future with the right support and I know he is capable of change.

But right now, I really cannot be bothered to give a damn. He is out for my blood and I am determined to put him down. The plot is screwed already anyway, there's no guarantee that he will turn out to be the good guy like he did in canon by the end of this exam.

I won't even blink an eye if he somehow got himself killed today. Maybe I will feel some sense of pity for him, but that's about it.

Hayate gave a look at the both of us to check if we are both ready. I don't know why he is still alive at this point, but if I have to take a guess, it is likely attributable to Kabuto's mysterious disappearance.

I still have no idea where that silver-haired snake had disappeared to.

"All ready?"

Upon our nods of confirmation, Hayate leapt backwards before chopping his palm down.

"**Match start**!"

A large volume of sand immediately erupted out of Gaara's gourd as I got myself out of the way. His sand is his best offense and defence. Take out the sand, and Gaara's options will be severely limited.

I whipped out a scroll from my weapon pouch and reappeared high up in the air with the help of my mirrors. I could do this without the help of a scroll, but this will allow me to save a lot of chakra.

"Release!"

An even larger volume of water poured down into the arena from the scroll and flood it within seconds. Many people were confused at the sudden drop in water level of the Naka river a few days ago. They didn't know I was the reason behind it.

The entire arena had been transformed into an artificial lake thanks to the amount of water I poured into it. Gaara has a very ugly and furious scowl on his face as he glared at me where I am levitating in the sky using a pane of ice mirror as a floating platform. I had made the weakness of his absolute defence known in a very obvious manner and he does not appreciate it.

Like I care.

I can never beat Gaara in a contest of stamina. He is a jinchuriki, a being with unlimited amount of chakra and crazy regenerative powers thanks to the beast sealed inside him even if Shukaku is supposedly the weakest one out of the nine. A normal human can never hope to beat it without taking drastic measures but I am definitely not normal, not after the training my godfather put me through.

I am going to defeat Gaara my own way. It is time to use my knowledge of other fictional worlds and turn fiction into reality.

The power of fiction is a mighty power to have if given the chance to turn real.

I put my hands together and went through several hand seals. Each of the Ice Release techniques that I will be using are of my own creation even if they were plagiarised from other fictional series that I had read about in my previous life.

I am going to go at full power right off the bat.

"Ice Release: Hakka no Togame"

Rukia's ability from the Bleach series is to turn her surroundings into ice by dropping the surrounding temperature into absolute zero and the effect is brought to the maximum when she uses her Bankai. From an observer's point of view, her general ability is to freeze. However, the real ability that she possesses is to bring her own body to a temperature below freezing so that anything that she touches will be frozen in ice. Her sword merely extends her reach. In my case, I copied the same logic and turned it into reality. It took me half a year in my mindscape to achieve this due to how delicate this technique is, but the efforts are worth it.

The entire arena turned into a freezing white and I can see many shinobis using jutsus of their own to shield their allies and the spectators from the cold I am giving out. A layer of white frost gradually formed on the surface of my body as my body temperature continue to drop.

I don't have the same weakness as Rukia when thawing myself out of this technique because unlike her, I can be the ice itself, thanks to the other jutsus that I had invented.

Using the time Gaara is spending in getting his sand out of my ice due to the drop in temperature, I quickly went through another set of hand seals.

"Ice Release: Iced Shell"

The original technique is a magic spell that Ur from Fairy Tail used to seal Deliora away, saving her pupil, Gray, in the process.

When I first created Iced Shell, I had only planned on creating it as a suicide jutsu by transforming myself into ice just in case things ever got that ugly. However, some time in during the creation process, I found another use for it that led to the invention and discovery of another application of ice power from another fictional series. The discovery of the workings of my version of Iced Shell and how it works led me to the invention of another jutsu that mimicked the abilities of another fictional power.

Initially, from what I can remember, Ur uses a mixture of her spirit and physical body to create unmeltable ice. It is what got me thinking. This world has the idea of 'spirit' and 'physical' energy as well in the form and Yin and Yang chakra. What if I combine them to create the same effects as Iced Shell? Is it possible to recreate the effects of unmeltable ice by mixing Yin and Yang chakra into my Ice Release?

After many trials and errors in my mindscape by combining different ratio of Yin, Yang, Water, and Wind nature chakra, I got my results. As it turns out, it is possible.

In my case, my Iced Shell differs from Ur's as it is a passive technique instead of an active one. My Iced Shell uses the spiritual and physical energy of the user to give extra freezing powers to the Ice Release. The subsequent ice that is produced from this jutsu is almost unmeltable because my spirit, the Yin chakra, and my physical strength, the Yang chakra, are mixed into it as well. I can also use it to transform my body into a form of ice. However, like Hakka no Togame, there is a very high chance that using this jutsu can destroy my body in the process if the reversal process is done wrongly. The reversal process of changing my body from ice back to flesh is very delicate. A single misstep will cause certain death for me.

But I had years to practice and get around that flaw of this jutsu. It was during this time that I found a way to recreate another fictional power regarding ice that solves the problem I faced when using Hakka no Togame and Iced Shell. With this jutsu, I can freely change my body from flesh to ice and vice versa without much worry.

"Ice Release: Ice Body"

I whispered out the name of the third jutsu as I felt my body changing from flesh to ice. Now, most physical attacks are unable to harm me.

Kuzan from One Piece never had a specific name for his ability to turn his body into ice and then reform it upon getting partially destroyed from a hostile attack, but that doesn't stop me from recreating his ability and then giving it a name of my own liking. Right now, my body is pure ice. Ice Body is a technique that branches off from Iced Shell, I am using a combination of Yin and Yang chakra together with my Ice Release to achieve this effect. If I have to make an educated guess, Konan from Akatsuki had probably done something similar to let her body turn into paper. I don't remember her being a part of any clan or having any form of bloodline, so what she achieved should be something that can be done by any other shinobi.

I may call it a jutsu, but in actuality, Ice Body is a method I had came up with to help me switch my body's constitution between flesh and ice rapidly. With this, Hakka no Togame's weakness is now nullified. I also now have the added ability to be invincible against most physical attacks since I can change my body to ice and reform my damaged body whenever I want, similar to how Kuzan did in One Piece.

I have the power to control ice. I can make them move however I wish. I can even make them hover and fly in the air without conscious effort. With Ice Body, my body is now turned into ice and I have full control over it. I can now control my body however I like it. I can even twist my limbs at unnatural angles like how Orochimaru can when Ice Body is active.

With Ice Body active, I can now fly.

With that, preparations are complete.

"**DIE**!"

A massive wave of sand rose from somewhere like an angry tsunami in an attempt to catch me. It seems that Gaara had somehow managed to get his sand out of its frozen state.

"Ice Release: Ice Storm"

I raised a hand and quickly froze Gaara's huge wave of sand into ice within seconds. I can feel everyone's surprise and awe at what I can achieve even when I am levitating high up in the air above the arena. Even the artificial lake that I had brought about is now frozen.

This time, my inspiration is from Esdeath from the Akame Ga Kill series. I took out the 'Commander-In-Chief' from the original name since I don't like the sound of it, but the idea of covering everything with ice and snow is something that a fellow ice user like me can appreciate.

I look down at Gaara from my position. I can already feel his sense of disbelief from where I am even if I cannot see his face clearly due to the distance between us.

He is going down.

* * *

Impossible.

**THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!**

Gaara seethed and he can feel Mother's blood boiling in the dark recesses of his mind. _HOW_?! Even his father is incapable of stopping his sand so easily!

And yet this boy here did it with a casual wave of his hand.

His sand's automatic defence was the only warning he got as his opponent suddenly reappeared near him with his hands in a specific stance.

"Ice Release: Hail Pounce"

A giant pillar of ice was created and Haku threw it at Gaara, who is now forced to use his sand to defend himself. Gaara remains unscathed as per usual although the force behind that attack had gotten him skidding back a fair distance.

This is it. This is the battle that he was looking forward to! A battle to make him feel alive!

Gaara clapped his hands together before slamming it down onto the ground. Haku had brought the winter along with him, it is time for him to return the favour by introducing a desert into Konoha.

Haku followed his actions immediately and Gaara can feel his panic rising.

He doesn't know what Haku did, but the sands within the earth isn't responding.

"Don't bother calling your sand." Haku said in a flat tone as he slowly stood up from the frozen artificial lake of water. "It is not that hard to find out after your stunt in the preliminaries that the sand in your gourd is what you usually use. Hanabi had told me that she saw a large amount of your chakra infused in it, making it easier for you to use and control. It is even easier to figure out that you called upon the extra sand from the ground by breaking down the minerals in it to call upon more sand to help you. Obviously, I am not letting that happen. I had just frozen everything underground at least a hundred meters deep. Your sand won't help you now."

"You… **YOU**!"

"Yes, me." Haku replied with breaths of white air escaping his mouth. His form is covered in a white layer of frost as he slowly walked towards Gaara.

"You are strong. You are probably the strongest adversary I had ever faced. You could possibly grow into a Kage level shinobi and I won't be surprised. You said that you wanted my blood. I had _warned_ you that you are going to need to work for it. You obviously didn't heed my warning."

Gaara clutched his head in pain. His head is pounding and he can feel the mixture of his mother's lust for blood and the sudden emergence of a sense of fear within him that he hadn't felt in years.

"Don't come near me… I want to live… I WANT TO LIVE! **I WANT TO FEEL ALIVE**!"

Gaara temporarily tapped into Shukaku's powers as the area behind him managed to burst out of the frozen lake, sending large chunks of ice to rain down upon the arena. Haku remained unfazed at this change of development and stared at Gaara without flinching.

"I had heard a little of what you experienced. Your father tried to kill you, didn't he? How many times did he attempt?"

"Five." Even if he is now looking down at the ground, Gaara found himself replying to Haku's question in his dry raspy voice even if he doesn't know why. For some reason, he has a feeling that Haku can understand him.

They both have the same look of loneliness after all.

"Five times after my own Uncle tried to kill me. I killed them all in return."

"We are actually very similar. My own father tried to kill me once and I killed him in return." Haku's chilly voice got Gaara looking back up in surprise. "It is how I unlocked my powers over ice. It doesn't really bother me that much now but back then, every single time I use this cursed power I would have brief flashbacks of how he tried to kill me. I would remember how he killed my own mother. I had hated this power."

There was a brief flash of understanding and sorrow in Haku's eyes before it disappeared. The cold determined gaze returned.

"Looking at you, I see what I would have become if I didn't have the few people around me that tried their best to care for me. I guess I am luckier than you in this regard."

"Shut up. SHUT UP! **QUICKSAND WATERFALL FLOW**!"

"Didn't I just tell you that this is a futile attempt on your part? Here, let me show you."

Haku stood at his position as he watched the sand approached him with an uncaring look.

And then let the sand wash over him.

"HAHAHA!" Gaara laughed manically at the sight of his foe getting taken out so easily. "So much for the big talk! Now, **DIE**!"

Gaara's next attack didn't have any effect as his sand suddenly turned into a frosty white mass of ice. The ice slowly cracked and crumbled, revealing an undamaged Haku as he strolled out of his previous confinement.

"Ice Release: Ice Age. If you have any other tricks up your sleeves I suggest you start pulling them out now."

Spears of sand shot into Haku from behind, who had a visible look of surprise on his face at the sudden sneak attack. Gaara continued to laugh with increasing madness as he sent more and more spears of sand piercing into Haku's body until he is nothing more than a pincushion dangling from the spikes of sand. The crowd gasped and cringed at the violent display as Gaara continue to maim the corpse of the ice wielder with a psychotic laugh.

"**I** SURVIVED! **I** AM ALIVE! **_I AM ALIVE_**!"

"Hey, what a coincidence, me too."

Gaara jumped back in shock at the sound of that damn voice. He looked towards Haku, who is still dangling from the numerous spears of sand that impaled him. There is even one that went through the left side of his face.

Somehow, Haku is still trying to make conversation with him in this state. He is somehow still alive and uncaring at how…

**_HOW_**_ IS HE EVEN STILL ALIVE?!_

"Hanabi is so going to give me a good telling off later for giving her the scare, but meh, whatever."

To Gaara's horror and amazement, Haku broke down into pieces of ice. The pieces of scattered ice floated and reformed above the spears of sand and Haku looked back down at Gaara once more without a single hair out of place as he somehow hovered in mid-air without any form of visible aid.

"Is that all? I am disappointed, Gaara of the Desert. I had expected more from you."

Gaara's only reply was a Sand Drizzle that rained bullets of sand in an explosive manner, shooting holes through Haku once more. However, Haku just remain hovering in the air and let the bullets of sand shoot through him. It didn't take long for Gaara to realise.

Haku is incapable of taking damage from his sand. Haku is invincible against everything he can throw at him.

Gaara can feel the panic and fear in him rising once more. No matter what he did, this Haku guy _just won't go down._ He isn't even serious in their fight.

For once in a long time, Gaara starts to fear for his life.

Should he call upon Mother's help?

_Release me. You need me. Only I care about you. Nobody knows you better than I do._

Shut up, **SHUT UP**!

_Call upon my powers, **my child**._

_You need me_

Yes. Only Mother had been there for him when he needed it most. The only person he can trust in this world is her.

Gaara quickly surrounded himself in a cocoon of sand as he began the preparations for the Feigning Sleep Technique while increasing the intensity of his Sand Drizzle on Haku to keep the ice wielder at bay.

He will survive, and he will kill Haku.

Only then can he feel alive.

* * *

So finally, it got to this stage. This means that the invasion will finally start in full swing once I got this over and done with.

I think I had traumatised Gaara enough with my inability to die no matter what he did to try and kill me. It is an effort on my part to force him to use the Feigning Sleep Technique early. I want to scare him enough for him to throw caution to the wind and make him do irrational stuffs. If the invasion does happen, then I want to foil Orochimaru's plan as much as possible by making sure Gaara won't go full Shukaku mode in Konoha. I have to take Gaara out of the picture if Konoha is to remain standing after this. I still don't have much love for this place, but the people who I cared about do. For them, I will use my newfound powers to help defend this village that I have no love for.

I held out my right hand with my palm facing upwards as I slowly manifested the famous chakra ball that the entire Elemental Nations is so afraid of. I can hear the shocked and surprised gasps and feel the looks of disbelief being directed at me as I successfully formed the Rasengan in my hands.

There is an eyeball of sand above Gaara's sand cocoon and I have no doubt Gaara is using it to watch my every move. This is a little too similar to what happened in canon, but at least I know what he is probably trying to do next.

Without any prior warning, I flew forward towards Gaara in a burst of speed. Spears of sand sprang up to stop me but I froze them and then quickly shatter them into pieces with a wave of my left hand as I continued my charge.

Gaara's sand cannot stop me and my ice. Maybe he could after a few years, but not now. Thanks to the insanely brilliant invention of my new godfather to enter my own mindscape, I have years of experience over Gaara in trying to learn how to use my powers properly. I can freeze Gaara's sand and then shatter them, negating any attack that he tries to kill me with.

I am unstoppable.

I gave a brief touch at Gaara's sand cocoon with my left hand and froze it within a split second. Another split second later, the ice shattered into a million pieces, revealing a very fearful Gaara.

"RASENGAN!"

I slammed my godfather's signature jutsu into Gaara and Suna's jinchuriki was sent crashing through his own sand and only came to a stop when he got himself embedded deep into the walls of the arena. I can see why canon Naruto enjoyed spamming this jutsu. It is fun to use and the damage dealt to your foes is actually pretty huge.

Surprisingly, Gaara is still conscious and kicking about after receiving the full brunt of the Rasengan. Is this the power of a jinchuriki?

"ARGH! BLOOD! **_MY_ BLOOD**!"

I couldn't really concentrate on what Gaara is screaming about as my eyelids suddenly have a heavy weight to it. It is only spotting many of the spectators dropping down into a deep sleep from the corner of my eyes did I remember what is about to happen.

This isn't the time to fall asleep. The invasion is really going to happen.

_Kai!_

I dispersed myself into shards of ice and reappeared next to the proctor with our backs facing each other. He is the closest ally to me right now. He already has his sword drawn out and all hints of his sickly demeanour is now somehow gone. Right now, he is a deadly shinobi of Konoha ready to defend his homeland.

Several parts of the stadium are also now engulfed in flames and explosions. The invasion is really happening.

War is here.

The worst part?

It seems that somehow, Kumo is allying themselves with Suna and Oto. Konoha is caught in a war against three shinobi villages and two of them are from the Big Five.

This is not supposed to happen.

"Kid, you alright? Chakra reserves getting low or anything?"

"I will be fine for a while. What about you? No offense, but will your cough suddenly give you a heart attack or anything?"

"None taken, and the answer is no." Hayate commented as Suna shinobis started to surround us in a circle together with a few Oto ones in the mix.

Hayate got into a stance.

"Watch out, here they come."

"Let me handle them."

I exploded into shards of ice and tore through the eight shinobis that leapt at us, killing them instantly.

"Urgh, not trying that again." I said in disgust as I reformed my body and flicked whatever blood that is still clinging on there off my ice body. I looked up and watched the stadium.

Chaos. It is utter chaos.

The jonin senseis are protecting my fellow genins as the few that are able to stay awake through the initial genjutsu attack quickly woke those that are unable to defend themselves from it. Good, they are all safe.

"Ice boy, scatter!"

Hayate's warning got me turning into my intangible state immediately as a large fist punched into my previous location just right after I dispersed myself into shards of ice.

"Hey, you are the Raikage. Pick someone your own size."

I looked at Ay in contempt as I reformed my body far away from him. Why is he picking a fight with **_me_** out of so many people here?! He is a Kage and an S Rank shinobi and he is picking on a genin?!

"You and your little girlfriend are too dangerous to let live with what you two are able to do. Take pride in the fact that I myself had personally come to finish you. Now, die!"

"Too slow."

I disappeared into a mirror of ice and let a large number of my mirrors form around the entire stadium. Even I lost count at how many I had created. The moisture from the frozen lake that I had created is very advantageous for me. I have the environmental advantage.

There are also many hostile shinobis in the arena fighting it out with Konoha shinobis as well. I have to thin out the numbers as much as possible. The fact that I can piss the Raikage off even further is just another bonus. I really don't like this man; this is the guy that gave the order to kidnap Hanabi and force her into a life of slavery. I am not strong enough to face him in direct combat now, but I will kill him the moment I have the chance when I grow older.

Right now, I will just settle on making his life in Konoha very miserable. Time to recreate another overpowered fictional power over ice.

Black clouds start to form overhead and a large amount of snow falls upon the entire area as I zipped around my mirrors to avoid the angry Raikage gunning to kill me. I am surprised that I managed to stay out of his reach for as long as I did.

"Ice Release Forbidden Art: Hyōten Hyakkasō!"

With a special hand seal I invented to kickstart this jutsu, Hitsugaya Toshiro's power is recreated. It is what he used to bring Harribel down in the Bleach series. This is also one of my strongest jutsus. The power and utility behind it is so strong that I myself had deemed it to be a forbidden technique.

The snow that had landed on my enemies suddenly sprout into various shapes of frozen flowers as they screamed in pain. Some of the smarter ones managed to rid themselves of the snow before the jutsu took effect, but now they are also on the run from my snow which is falling everywhere around a large section of Konoha. My allies remain unharmed as they took this opportunity to hack our enemies into little bloody pieces. Or simply blast them into oblivion, whichever works best for them.

My years of studies and research behind chakra theory and how it works finally paid off. I wouldn't have been able to recreate this technique otherwise.

Even if this is a recreation of Toshiro's technique, the actual workings behind this jutsu works in a similar way to the Uchiha's Amaterasu. As long as there is chakra, my ice flowers will continue to bloom and grow. It will only stop when there is no more chakra left to feed on. This is the perfect jutsu against anyone with huge amount of chakra or if I have to fight against an entire army by myself. The best possible way to defend against this jutsu of mine is to not let my snow come into contact with anything that has chakra in the first place.

Which is actually damn hard to do realistically. Almost everything a shinobi does in combat involves chakra in one way or another. Even Rock Lee uses chakra to strengthen his punches and kicks despite being unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu.

"**YOU DAMN BRAT**!"

"Ice Release: Ice Cavalry!"

Armoured soldiers of ice appeared and rushed at the Raikage at my command. The Raikage charged through my ice army as I took this chance to make my great escape. It is not a bad thing that his attention is on me. At least the other Konoha shinobis are safe from his wrath.

Huge blasts of condensed electricity fired at me as I took to the skies. My snow is still falling and taking out many of the invading army at a rapid rate, allowing Konoha shinobis to repel the attack with increasing success.

"**BEE**! DISPERSE THE CLOUDS! DON'T LET THE SNOW CONTINUE TO FALL!"

What in the actual fuck? _Killer Bee_ is here too?

A massive octopus-bull creature made its sudden appearance known by destroying a section of Konoha's walls. I can see many of our shinobis moving to stop Bee as he charged up a massive Tailed Beast Bomb.

Even I can't stop that. At least not now.

The dark ball of doom flew towards the black clouds that I had summoned to rain snow upon the stadium and the only thing I can do is to continue running for my life with Ay trying to kill me. I had honestly thought that this is how one of my best jutsus will be stopped.

Only for a yellow flash to shine and got in its way. The ball of chakra got sucked into a space-time technique and I watched in awe as the same dark ball of doom suddenly reappeared before Bee and collided into him, pushing him away from Konoha's walls.

"Kushina! I am leaving Bee to you! I am going in to save Haku!"

A massive amount of chains was the only response to Minato's words as they lashed out at the Hachibi like angry serpents. I cannot see her from where I am right now, but I can tell that my godmother is angry.

_Extremely angry_.

My godfather reappeared beside me in the air. Since when did he place a Flying Thunder God Seal on me without me knowing about it?

And wait a sec…

"You can _fly_?"

"Of course I can. You think Onoki and you are the only people in the Elemental Nations capable of doing it? Seals can do _anything_, Haku. I taught you that."

"You taught this brat?"

The Raikage made his presence known as he stood at the top of the highest point of the stadium with his armour of lightning coating him and buzzing with power.

He is way out of my league. If it wasn't for the speed and intangibility my powers over ice gave me, I would be dead a long time ago. Only my godfather can handle him right now.

Minato put a hand on my shoulder to get his attention on me. How did he not get a frostbite by touching me? The degree of coldness I am emitting is enough to give anyone that I come into contact with a severe frostbite.

"Haku, get out of here. Leave this to me. I know you don't really have any love for the village but do me a favour and help us kill as many enemies as you can. Just don't overexert yourself. _Please_, Haku. Konoha needs your help."

"You don't need to ask. For you and Kushina-kaachan, I will do it."

I started to make my leave before taking a brief pause and whispered something to him. I then proceed to make my way back to my team. They will need me. We need to help defend Konoha.

For the people that I care about, I will protect this village.

* * *

_"Don't die, Minato-touchan."_

Minato cannot help but let a small smile appear on his face. He knows how much Haku avoided using that particular honorific due to what his biological father did. The fact that he called him by that is proof that his godson cares a lot about him as well.

Haku is healing and is almost reaching full recovery. It is a good sign.

"I respect you as a fellow shinobi, but you made a fatal mistake, Ay." Minato said as he entered Sage Mode and instantly his senses sharpened.

"Konoha is too strong. As the Raikage, I have to take your village down for the sake of my village." Ay replied as increasing surges of lightning coated his huge body. The last time they clashed was during the Third War. The victor back then was undecided.

It will be decided now.

"That isn't what I am talking about. We always knew that such a possibility may happen during the exams. The fact that you are willing to send your genins here is suspicious enough. Konoha is prepared for such a possibility. Regretfully, you went through with it, but this isn't the only reason why I am angry." Minato replied as he disappeared in a flash of yellow the moment Ay charged at him with a Lariat.

"You **_dared_** to hurt **_my_** son."

Minato uses his ability to tap into the natural force of the world and the very air itself is now at his command. With a swipe of his hand, numerous waves of wind blades coated with senjutsu chakra shot at Ay, forcing him to run for cover from the sheer destructive power of the attack.

"That is your mistake, and I will make you pay for it."

* * *

It really isn't hard to spot where Hanabi is.

A violent torrent of flames exploded at the side of the stadium and I quickly rained down shards of sharp ice at anyone who was lucky enough to escape from it. They are not so lucky now that I am here.

"Haku! You are alright! I saw the Raikage-"

"Minato-touchan is handling him in my stead." I replied as I froze a group of Oto shinobis in ice before they could attack us. "Are you alright? Any bloody holes in your body that needs to be plugged with my ice?"

"**YOU**! That reminds me! **_What_** were you thinking, giving me the biggest scare of my life by letting Gaara shooting his sand spikes **_into_** you?! Do you know-"

"She nearly went down to murder eyebags-kun, that is basically what happened." Sai summarised Hanabi's words as he slit the throat of a Suna shinobi and we got into formation with our backs facing each other. "Tobi-sensei and I had to physically hold her back."

"Where is this eyebags-kun anyway? I lost sight of him the moment the Raikage was trying to kill me."

"He escaped. Boobless, ugly, and duck-ass along with Team 10 and Team 8 is hunting him down. It is obvious that he is a jinchuriki in that previous battle. We cannot allow him to fully transform, one of those is already keeping us very busy."

Sai gave a brief jerk of his head towards where Bee is duking it out with my godmother. From the looks of it, my godmother is somehow able to fight Bee on equal ground and preventing him from coming near to the village.

"Do we have any orders from sensei?" I asked as I moved in tandem with my team and helped to repel the invading forces of Oto, Suna, and Kumo shinobis out of our village.

"We have two. One: Don't let the enemies in any further than they already are. Two: Don't die."

"_They_ are the ones who are going to die." Hanabi growled out as she burned a group of unfortunate Kumo shinobis into a crisp with another huge inferno by pulling off a successful sneak attack. "Especially the Kumo ones. Now I have the _perfect_ excuse to kill them all. I want payback."

"Haku! Hanabi! Sai!"

Team Gai made a flashy entrance as they rammed through their opposition and stood beside us. The six of us stood in a circle facing outwards as enemy shinobis surrounded us. They are a little wary of facing us in combat after we proved that no ordinary shinobis can take us down.

"Hey Neji." We may be stuck in a war right now, but I think we can all afford to take a temporary break to relieve the stress and pressure building up inside us. Tenten's hands are already starting to shake from all the built-up stress this sudden war had brought along. I don't want her to slip up from the intense pressure that she is experiencing, that can get her killed. I need to temporarily divert her attention elsewhere.

"What is it, Haku-nii? We are all busy right now."

"Nice hair."

With the exception of Neji, we all allowed a small laugh to escape us as we took this as an unspoken signal to charge in and destroy our enemies. Neji's hair is still covered in those sparkling pink glitter even if he had somehow found a way to get rid most of it from his clothes.

His hair wasn't so lucky though.

"I will have my revenge, Haku-nii."

"Careful there, ototo, you are falling to the dark side."

Seeing that I had succeeded in getting them to calm down and relieve the pressure that they are experiencing, we continue to defend our location as we worked with some of our allies to prevent the invading force from making their way in any further.

"Haku, are you sure you can hold your jutsu for long?" Hanabi asked worriedly as a palm strike from her sent a Suna shinobi flying away from the impact. "Your jutsus got to be chakra intensive."

"Don't worry about that." I replied as I touched a nearby pillar of ice with many ice flowers growing on it. It seems that someone here was unlucky enough to get caught in my snow.

"Watch and learn, Hanabi."

I can feel the battles around me taking a temporary pause as I did the impossible and sucked the ice into my body through my palm. While the snow is created from my own chakra, it had grown and multiplied the moment it came into contact with these unlucky chaps. My chakra had leeched onto theirs and used theirs to grow, the visible end result is the pillar of ice with ice flowers blooming on it.

What I just did is to reabsorb the multiplied chakra back into my body. It is difficult to do so, but it can be done. I had spent an entire year in my mindscape trying to achieve that and reach the level of proficiency that I currently have. With this jutsu active, my stamina will never run out as long as there are pillars of ice around. In this scenario, theoretically, I can hold onto my Ice Body jutsu indefinitely. The same goes for my Hyōten Hyakkasō. It is like having an ice version of Amaterasu at my disposal. As long as there is chakra to feed on, my jutsu will continue to live and grow in a never-ending cycle.

It is a jutsu that will never die until its enemies perish. This is the ultimate jutsu that I created to fight jinchurikis on equal ground by turning their main advantage, their massive chakra reserves, against them. I can turn their chakra and reabsorb it as mine, giving me the chakra and stamina I need to fight against stamina freaks and chakra monsters.

Thank you, Kisame, for the inspiration behind this combat style that I came up with. Your battle with Bee in canon was very inspiring.

The remains of the frozen shinobi fell limply onto the ground the moment I reabsorbed the ice. I can feel my chakra reserves replenishing.

"Ice Release: Ice Storm"

I wasted no time in freezing the shinobis in front of us into a massive iceberg. Any shinobis that managed to get away were quickly hunted down by the rest of my friends and our allies.

"Yosh! Haku-san, it seems that I will have to make you my eternal rival as well! I challenge you-"

"Not now, Lee." Neji cut his teammate off with a disapproving tone, but his sparkling pink hair really isn't helping him to bring his point across.

**"WATCH OUT! IT'S YUGITO NII!"**

A blast of blue flames exploded not far from where we are as the Nibi appeared in Konoha in all its glory. The flames incinerated a good portion of Konoha as the monster cat howled its challenge into the sky.

"What… **_What_**_ the hell is that_?!" Tenten shouted as we all hid ourselves behind a large debris to escape the flames the monster cat is emitting.

"A jinchuriki." I muttered just loud enough for my friends to hear. "This invasion just went out of control. Konoha is getting itself invaded by Suna, Kumo, and Oto. It will take a miracle for the village to survive this. We practically invited them to our doorsteps with this exam."

"Konoha will win!" Lee exclaimed out loud as he crossed his arms in front of him in an 'X' shape stance. "I will just-"

"Don't bother, Lee." I interrupted Lee before he can even think about using his Eight Gates. "Unless you are capable of going into the Seventh or even the Last Gate, then don't. You will just be doing wasted actions."

"Run!" Hanabi suddenly shouted as she pulled us along. Her byakugan must have spotted something we missed. "The cat is coming!"

A large paw smashed down into where we were as the cat screeched at us. There's nowhere else to run. Yugito had surrounded this entire area with her flames acting as an impassable wall. I can try to fly over it and bring my friends along, but I doubt that Yugito will give me this chance.

We are trapped.

"Kids, get out of here!"

A small squad of Uchihas from the Konoha Military Police Force blasted huge fireballs on the Nibi to get its attention on them instead. There are some who tried to use their ocular powers to cast a genjutsu on the Nibi but it didn't work. Their genjutsus didn't have the same potency as what Madara is capable of. From the way they are recklessly throwing themselves into the fray, it is obvious that they are trying to buy us time to escape.

They are sacrificing their lives for us.

A powerful swipe of the Nibi's paws sent everything and everyone in the vicinity to fly away from the force of the blow. I used my powers over ice to encase everyone that I can see in a cocoon of ice each, hoping that it is just enough to save them.

"Thanks, kid, you just saved our hide." One of the Uchihas thanked me as he stood back up and got into a defensive stance, putting himself in between us and the monster cat. "But you guys really need to go. We can't have our next generation dying in this war."

"Umm… we don't mean to be rude, Uchiha-san, but there's nowhere to run." Sai very helpfully reminded us of the bleak circumstances that we had got ourselves into as he pointed at the blue flames that surrounded the area that we are in. "At this rate, we will all get ourselves cooked alive."

"I can try to dispel the flames. It may be our only way out of here." Neji stated as he coated his hands in chakra once more.

"You need to have at least the same amount of chakra that these flames have to do that." Hanabi shot that idea down as quickly as it had come. "This is one of the weakness of your technique. The bigger the technique you want to dispel, the larger amount of chakra you need. Right now, you don't even have a tenth of the chakra that these flames have."

"I can create an opening for everyone to escape." I said as I raised a palm into the sky to begin calling upon every single ice pillar I can sense with my powers. "Everybody, step back. I am going to create something big."

"How big?" Sai asked as my friends heeded my words and started to retreat. Even our nearby allies did so as they chose to place their faith in my words.

We don't have a better option against a Tailed Beast.

I didn't reply Sai's question as a massive number of ice pillars floated into the air from all around the stadium and converged onto my location. I flew up and absorbed them all and I can feel my chakra reserves reaching an all-time high.

"Ice Release" I whispered out as I stared down at Yugito in her Nibi form. I had successfully caught her attention with my showy display and the amount of chakra I am gathering.

"Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō"

Komamura's Bankai ability came into life through my ice as a colossal living armour of ice manifested onto the battlefield. I panted as I try to catch my breath after using this jutsu. I had almost expended all the excess chakra I had gathered with just this move alone. Even Hyōten Hyakkasō had stopped the moment I used this technique. Somehow, I still didn't manage to get Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō and Hyōten Hyakkasō to be able to work with one another simultaneously during my training trip. I need to start and work on that pronto once this invasion is over.

Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō is our last hope in surviving Yugito Nii's attack. Hyōten Hyakkasō won't work against her since Matatabi's flames will simply melt my snow even before it reaches Yugito. This is my final option.

With a mental command, I sent my ice warrior to engage Yugito in her Tailed Beast form. A heavy punch from my warrior sent her flying out of Konoha's walls at the cost of my construct's entire arm. I made a hand seal and immediately began to repair the damage my ice warrior suffered. The flames from the Nibi is the worst possible match up for my ice even with Iced Shell empowering the ability of my ice to freeze its targets. My ice may not be ordinary ice, but the flames from a Tailed Beast aren't ordinary flames either.

But defeating her isn't what I am aiming for. With Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, I can use it to dig the earth and carve a path open that is free from the hellish blue flames. My friends can escape with our allies tagging along for the free ride.

"Kid, I will take it from here! Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"

Wood Release? Is it Yamato? Or was his name Tenzo?

At the same time, the ground behind us parted and revealed an open path for the trapped occupants to run through. A familiar looking shinobi dashed to the front of the battlefield just as an enormous wood dragon sprouted out from the ground and coiled itself around Yugito, restraining her and suppressing the chakra given to her from her feline friend.

It really is him. Was Yamato this strong in canon?

A blur dropped down from the sky and sent Yugito crashing into the ground violently with a drop kick. Senju Tsunade leapt back from the newly formed crater and joined us. The seal on her forehead is already active and is healing the burns she suffered from coming into close contact with Matatabi's flames.

"Mum, leave the fighting to me. My Wood Release can handle the Nibi no problems."

"You are still too young to tell me what to do, Yamato."

I gave a look of disbelief at the two elder shinobis from where I am behind them. _Yamato is Tsunade's son?! He is a Senju?!_ Is this why his Wood Release is so much stronger than what I remembered it to be?

So that means the mysterious son that Tsunade and Dan have is Yamato. Interesting. What else had changed that I don't know of?

"Kid." Tsunade turned to address me as Yamato went through jutsus to summon more wood to suppress Yugito, who is now screaming furiously and trying to get herself out the bind she found herself in. "You think you can stay a little longer to help us out? Your ice giant may be needed to take this overgrown cat down for good."

"I'm running out of chakra. Fast." I admitted as I floated down to stand beside her. "My ice pillars are gone and I don't have enough time and chakra to form more of those. The fact that our enemies are now wary of my snow is also not helping things. If you can spare me some chakra, I can last however long you want me to as long as I have chakra to spend."

"Take it. Katsuyu."

A small slug appeared from the cracks of the debris and latched itself onto me. I can feel my chakra being replenished at a rapid rate.

"Katsuyu is now spread out across Konoha trying to keep casualties to a minimum. I can only spare you so much, kid. Use it wisely. Follow my lead and we can take this cat down, you get me?"

"Crystal."

Tsunade led the charge just as Yugito forcefully tore through the amount of wood binding her. My ice warrior swung its frozen sword down at her head and Yugito moved to jump out of the way. Her plan was foiled as Tsunade's powerful punch sent her back to the path the massive blade of ice took and I struck her down.

"Tsunade-san, Minato-touchan taught me several ways to suppress a Tailed Beast. Let me try it out."

"That brat did?" Tsunade raised a sceptical eye at me but didn't stop what I am going to do. "Well, go on. There's only so much Yamato can do. His Wood Release is not as potent as his great-grandfather."

Konan from Akatsuki is able to turn her body into paper just like how I am able to turn my body into ice. The papers she used are riddled with seals. Explosive seals, to be exact. She used this ability to turn herself into a walking bomb.

I can do something similar too.

I cannot write anything on ice due to its physical properties. Any ink used to write on the surface of my ice will just get itself smudged, but seals can be created in many other ways other than drawing it out with ink.

Seals can also be carved into solid objects.

It is how the seals on Konoha's walls are able to last as long as they did. Carving seals onto solid objects is a lot harder than writing it out with ink, but the upside is that the carved seals tend to last a lot longer than their written counterparts.

If I cannot write seals on my ice, I will just "carve" it on them. I can simply create constructs of ice with seal markings etched on it. I can do it easily with just a mere thought since I don't need to "carve" it, but to merely visualise and then create it.

Ice is versatile in many ways and I am going to fully exploit this fact. If I want to survive in this insane world, then I will need to do everything I can and squeeze every knowledge I have to become as strong as possible. I will become an S Rank shinobi. Not only to keep myself alive, but to help protect those who care for me and who I care about in return. I will not allow anyone to stand in the way of my goal.

"Ice Release: Adamantine Sealing Chains"

As homage to my godmother's signature technique, numerous chains of ice shot out from my ice body and wrapped around Yugito in addition to Yamato's wood dragons. These aren't just normal ice chains; I have created them with seals already etched on it. These are seals that Minato had taught me himself.

I had severely underestimated my godfather's brilliance and the impact he can bring about to the world after he survived the Kyubi attack.

Minato is a certified genius, there's no arguing this. His wife was a jinchuriki and his daughter was forced to be one. Naturally, people are fearful of them as they are afraid that the beast within them might claw its way out of its seal and wreck havoc on the village once more.

To quell the public's fear and also to protect his family, Minato had devised a way using the Uzumaki's Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to fully suppress the Kyubi should it ever get loose once more. The biggest breakthrough is that there is no longer a need to call upon the Shinigami to seal the Kyubi once more even if it is fully released but at the same time, the resulting seal will now have the same effect as though the Shinigami was being called upon.

Minato had basically invented a new way to seal Tailed Beasts with the same benefits of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal without its drawbacks. This achievement alone makes him a very powerful individual. As far as I know, only him and my godmother is capable of using this technique due to their mastery over seals.

Minato had found a way to do this only a few years after surviving the Kyubi attack. Because of his new "invention", he and Kushina are the only ones in Konoha that can safely stop Naruto should she lose control of her tenant. It is what made him so influential in the village and is what made people respect him as much as they fear his strength.

And he taught the secret behind that technique to _me_. He taught me the secret to not only stop jinchurikis, but to also create one if I can ever find and suppress a Tailed Beast without a host and then shove it into some unlucky soul.

I know the significance and importance behind wielding this power and I really don't want to learn it when he offered me the chance to learn the inner workings behind the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. I don't want to undermine his importance to the village, but the reason he gave me left me unable to refuse his offer.

_"Kushina and I won't be able to accompany Naruto forever, Haku. In the worst case that we aren't around for whatever reasons when she loses control, I can at least take solace in the fact that you can possibly stop her on her rampage. Konoha needs more people capable of stopping Tailed Beasts and not just rely on the Wood Release or the Sharingan. Only the Shodai and Madara is able to do that anyway. Fugaku could, but he cannot sustain his control over the Tailed Beast for long. Seals are still the best way to contain Tailed Beasts, this is why we have jinchurikis."_

_"But this is no small matter! This isn't like teaching me the Rasengan! The impact behind what you are trying to let me learn will get the **whole** village-"_

_"And that is what I want. I want the **entire** village to recognise your importance to them. I want them to accept **you**, and if giving you power can achieve it, then it is what I am going to do."_

_"Minato-shishou! I am a flight risk! You cannot just-"_

_"And will you betray me or Kushina?"_

_"…No."_

_"Then that settles it. In the case where Kushina and I aren't around, I am leaving my daughter in your care, Haku."_

I hate it when he uses my trust I have for him to get me to agree on certain things. I know what he is trying to do is to get me into the village's good graces and I know what he did is to get the village to accept me. I still think that he places way too much trust in me.

But currently, I'm glad that I learnt the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style from him.

My proficiency in the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style is still half-baked compared to Minato and I am not good enough in it to use it alone without backup. With my current proficiency, using the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style in this manner will leave me momentarily defenceless. I am not yet on Minato's level of skill. It was why I didn't use it against Yugito until Yamato and Tsunade appeared. They are the perfect backup with their skillsets. I cannot do anything fancy with the sealing techniques now, but it should be enough to help Tsunade and Yamato to seal the Nibi's chakra.

"Nice going, kid! Yamato! We are suppressing the Nibi and then capturing the jinchuriki alive!"

Yugito getting captured by Konoha? Canon is really spiralling out of control.

Ah well, screw the plot. Hanabi and the people that I care about are alive and this is the only thing that matters.

They are the only ones that matter to me. The rest of them can take a backseat.

* * *

_Kill the Hyuga heiress_

Darui idly unleashed a massive charge of black lightning that instantly killed a small group of Konoha shinobis. He has an order from his Raikage and he will see it done.

Even if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

A kid. His Raikage wants him to off _a kid_ simply because she is talented enough to recreate a variation of his signature technique. It is an order given to him by his Raikage the moment the invasion started. The Raikage will personally go to kill the Yuki boy while he will use the opportunity in this joint invasion to kill the Hyuga girl.

Darui cannot deny that Hanabi's feat is a cause of concern for Kumo. Their village knows the exact weight behind the ability to be able to actually use that particular jutsu in the first place. The fact that the Hyuga girl can actually use her own version of the Chakra Mode is enough to bump up her ranking to at least a B rank even at her current age.

If Kumo lets her continue to grow as it is, she will reach S Class by the time she becomes an adult. For the sake of their village, Hyuga Hanabi has to be killed. It is too dangerous otherwise. Konoha is too strong as it is and no one wants them to continue to accumulate power and churn out geniuses like it is their homegrown produce.

The balance between the Big Five has to be maintained for the sake of the world. If this means that he has to go against his own morals and conscience to _kill a kid_, he will do it.

After all, he is the Raikage's right hand man.

A blast of fire caught his attention and Darui immediately starts to make his way there. Judging from the chakra he felt from that blast of fire, that is likely where the heiress is. The heiress that their village once tried to kidnap but failed. To think that she grew to be this strong.

If only her kidnapping was successful, then he wouldn't have to kill her.

* * *

"Crackers! Watch out!"

Sai's warning immediately got Hanabi dodging to a side as a huge wave of black lightning tore through the ground that their group was at. A tanned skin Kumo jonin stood with a lazy posture and a cleaver resting on his shoulder, staring at her with a look of reluctance.

"Sorry, kid. But I have my orders. Don't think too badly of me."

A swift execution of various Lightning Release techniques got their group to disperse as the jonin used this chance to leap at her to try and bisect her with his cleaver. Hanabi immediately went on the defensive as she tried to protect herself. She may have got a lot stronger in this one month, but this jonin is too strong for her right now.

And _why_ is he concentrating his attacks on **her** and her only?!

Hanabi was soon forced to be on the run as the jonin successfully separated her from her friends with his attacks. This jonin has an agenda in trying to kill her. But why? Is it because she recreated the Raikage's technique? Do they see her as a future threat that needs to be nipped in the bud right now?

That will make a lot of sense.

No matter what Hanabi did to force the jonin to get off her tail, he will soon catch up and she will be once again forced to be on the run. The difference in their power is still too large for her to do anything. The fact that her chakra levels are dropping isn't helping matters too. She also hadn't brought along any soldier pills or the likes since she never thought she will need them. Big oversight on her part. She should have put some into her weapons pouch even if she had never used those pills before.

But to be fair, who would have expected an _invasion_ of all things to happen?! Right in the middle of their home no less!

Hanabi quickly ducked when a surge of black lightning came roaring at her and she quickly dashed through a hole in a broken wall. She doesn't even have the time to look at where she is going now. The jonin is catching up to her, fast. She needs to find a way to lose him.

She is too tired to continue fighting. The moment the Kumo jonin got within slashing distance with his blade, she is done for.

Oh, is that Haku? She is back at where they were earlier?

Haku is now helping Tsunade and another male shinobi to suppress Yugito, who seemed to have been forced to revert back to her human form although there is still a red shroud of ominous chakra surrounding her. _What_ is that? The sight of that chakra alone gives her the heebie-jeebies, especially with her byakugan on.

Haku had also turned around and spotted her. She wanted to say something to him, anything, but Haku screamed at her even before she can react.

"HANABI! RUN!"

Hanabi dodged to the left on instinct as a massive cleaver slashed at where she was. What was she thinking, spacing out in the middle of a battlefield like that?

"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"

Beams of bright energy were shot out from the Kumo jonin and Hanabi desperately tried to find a way out with her byakugan.

There isn't one as far as her eyes can see.

She could try to use another Kaiten, but her chakra reserve is so low now that her Fire Release Chakra Mode had already shut down a minute ago. She is barely managing to stand with how exhausted she is now. Realistically speaking, there's no way she can pull off any massive in her current state. She could maybe time the release of her chakra through her tenketsu points just at the moment of impact when the beams struck her to deflect or soften the blow, but she doubts it will be of any use.

She is going to die here.

The extended range of her byakugan also allows her to see that Haku had immediately abandoned his position right beside Tsunade as he dived into his ice mirrors in an attempt to reach her. Yugito had also taken this opportunity to try and fight her way out of her constraints as Tsunade yelled at Haku to get back to her side to help suppress Yugito.

What her eyes _do_ see, is that there is no way Haku can reach her in time.

For some reason, time seems to slow down at the sight of her imminent death. She can see ice starting to form around her and Haku's form starting to emerge to try and put himself in harm's way to save her. She can see how Yugito is howling in rage while Tsunade and the male shinobi are frantically doing their best to stop her from rampaging once more.

She can see how the beams of light the Kumo jonin shot at her will pierce her. The attack fired by the Kumo shinobi is faster. Haku won't be able to reach her in time.

Hanabi used the last of her time in this world and turned to Haku, taking in his visage once more. She can see the looks of worry on his face. She can see how desperate he is trying to reach her and pull her out of the danger like what he always did.

Hanabi allowed a tear to leak out from her eye.

_I'm sorry Haku._

_I will be taking my leave first. Don't come after me anytime soon. Don't do anything stupid._

_Help me take care of Otou-sama and Nee-san, will you?_

From the edge of her vision, Hanabi can see that the beams of light will reach her any second now. Hanabi allowed a peaceful smile on her face as she finally mustered the courage to speak out the three words that she had always wanted to tell him.

"I love you"

And she knew no more.


	15. Chapter 15- Passing on the Will of Fire

Konoha Crush Arc

"Just what are you trying to achieve from this?"

"The wind has been still lately. All I want to do is to get the wind of change to blow again. If I pick up a few souvenirs along the way, well… I'm not complaining."

Haruno Kizashi frowned a little as he took in Orochimaru's cryptic words. The two Kage level shinobis stood across each other on a rooftop, each of them not making a move. There is a barrier erected by Orochimaru's underlings that prevents any outside interference from happening, a barrier that Kizashi recognises as the Four Violet Flames Formation. As of now, Kizashi is trapped and on his own.

It might as well be for the best. The upcoming battle with Orochimaru will definitely be destructive. If he faces Orochimaru alone, then the chances of any of his shinobis getting caught in the crossfire will lessen drastically.

The sight of having Kumo's jinchurikis rampaging in Konoha got him worried, but he calmed down after spotting Kushina forcefully pushing Bee out of their village's walls. The huge ice construct that punched the Nibi out of their village in a single blow was a reassuring sight too. Kizashi never doubted that Haku will grow into a formidable shinobi, but he never expected the child to undergo such a rapid growth. Just _what_ did Minato do to get Haku so strong in a single month?

Haku is like the second coming of Senju Tobirama. Smart, calculative, logical, composed, pragmatic, and having total control over water. His performance against Suna's jinchuriki in the chunin exam had shown that he is definitely jonin level in strength now. _And he is only **thirteen**_. If only Haku can understand the Will of Fire, he might be a possible candidate for the position of Hokage in the future.

Although considering what he did to force the boy to stay here many years back, that might be asking a little too much from him…

Orochimaru slowly removed the Kazekage robes on him and tossed it aside. Kizashi did the same and revealed the battle gear he is wearing beneath his Hokage robes. As much as he wants to go out right now to help his fellow shinobis as their Hokage, Kizashi knows that the only thing he can do is to have faith in his shinobis. Konoha is strong and so are its people. He has faith that they will be able to repel the invasion without his help while he dukes it out with Orochimaru.

For the Konoha's sake, he will strike the Snake Sannin down today.

"Let's see how much stronger you have gotten since the last time I saw you, eh, Kizashi-kun?"

Kizashi immediately swung his elbow backwards at where Orochimaru had suddenly appeared, foiling Orochimaru's assassination attempt from Kizashi's back. A kick from the Snake Sannin had Kizashi blocking it with his forearm before the Hokage grabbed onto Orochimaru's leg and flung him away. Orochimaru's neck lengthened, fangs bared, and Kizashi managed to stop Orochimaru in his track when he threw a kunai at Orochimaru's opened mouth. The exploding tag attached to the kunai exploded, raining shrapnel everywhere. Unsurprisingly, Orochimaru walked out of the explosion with barely a scratch other than the skin peeling off his face.

"You-!"

"Kukuku, surprised?" Orochimaru cackled as he peeled off the skin from his face, revealing the foreign looking face underneath.

"To think that you really managed to perfect such a vile technique." Kizashi growled as he clenched his fists when he spotted the face of a young woman beneath the layer of torn skin before Orochimaru donned on his original face again. What Orochimaru had created goes against the very law of nature, it cannot be allowed to exist.

With his twisted ideology and the ability to attain pseudo-immortality, Orochimaru's existence is too dangerous to Konoha. He needs to be put down.

"Please get the name of this technique right, I told you many times before that the name of this technique is the _Living Corpse Reincarnation_. I would have perfected this a long time ago if it wasn't for your needless meddling. If it wasn't for you exposing what I was doing, I wouldn't have need to be a missing nin in the first place."

"Konoha is a big family, and family should not be experimenting on each other for the sole purpose of achieving immortality for one's personal gain." Kizashi said with determination as he went through hand seals. "What you did was unforgivable, Orochimaru. Jiraiya-sensei would not have wanted to see you like this."

"_Don't_ bring that buffoon into this." Orochimaru hissed as he used the Sword of Kusanagi to slash at Kizashi, only to find himself hacking at a mud clone. "He's long **_dead_**. I told that fool to stop whatever he was doing and he didn't listen. There is no way true peace is achievable. It serves him right when he ended up deader than a doorknob. What's the point of having a dream if you aren't alive to realise it?"

"Jiraiya-sensei was a great man. I will make you apologise to him in the afterlife for that remark."

"Enough!" Orochimaru snapped as he went through a set of hand seals that got dread pooling within Kizashi's gut. _No way_. Orochimaru couldn't possible have learnt **_that_** jutsu.

A coffin rose out of the ground and Kizashi mentally cursed whatever divine powers up there for giving him such shitty luck. He needs to stop the process using whatever means necessary.

To Kizashi's frustration, the second coffin rose and blocked the inferno of flames that he belched out in an attempt to stop Orochimaru from completing the summoning process, the Edo Tensei.

"I wanted to save this for sensei… but you will make a fine sample to add to my collection as well."

The lid of the coffins opened and fell onto the floor with a dull thud. Kizashi can only prepare himself for the worst when Konoha's legends, the Senju brothers, walked out in their reanimated form.

"Edo Tensei? Tobirama! I told you to not leave such techniques lying around!"

"Whoever used this technique must be quite skilled to summon even me." Tobirama mused as he ignored the words of Senju Hashirama. He turned his head and spotted Kizashi. "And you are…?"

"The Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Haruno Kizashi." Kizashi replied in a grim tone. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances, Shodaime-sama, Nidame-sama. Sorry, but I will have to send you back to the afterlife."

"Kukuku… you will have to work very hard for that, Kizashi-kun." Orochimaru laughed manically as he immediately implanted talismans into the Senju brothers, robbing them of their free will and cutting the conversation off prematurely. "Now, I wonder how the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure will fare against the First and Second?"

The creaking of tiles beneath his feet was the only warning Orochimaru got before he quickly backpedalled. A large Adamantine Staff burst out from below the roof that he is standing on and swiped at him. Orochimaru's grin got larger when his previous teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen and also the Third Hokage of Konohagakure, leapt out from the gaping hole in his full battle gear.

"Danzo! Now!"

The shrill sound of wind got Orochimaru twisting to a side although it was too late. A large blade made of wind cut through Orochimaru at his waist and even tore through the reincarnated Hokages. Orochimaru clicked his tongue in annoyance as snakes emerged from his body and stitched the two halves of his body back together. This just got a lot harder. HOW did his sensei and the one-eye old coot get pass the barrier?! Wasn't the bottom of the roof coated with the Four Violet Flames Formation as well?!

Then again, his sensei was called the 'Professor' for a reason. He shouldn't be too surprised. He will also have to serve his subordinates their rightful punishment for their carelessness when they got back later.

"Your student is still as hard to kill as ever, Hiruzen." Danzo stated nonchalantly as he held a kunai in hand that is coated with such dense wind-natured chakra that it can be visibly seen with the naked eye. "If only you could bring yourself to kill him back then, this would not have happened."

"I know." Hiruzen replied as the reanimated Senju Hashirama had his body reformed and with a clap of his hands, summoned a forest of trees to trap them in. Hiruzen easily destroyed the incoming roots with ease using the Adamantine Staff in hand. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Sandaime-sama, Danzo-san. Allow me to handle Orochimaru." Kizashi requested as he gathered a large amount of chakra within him, preparing himself for the inevitable battle.

"That would be the best arrangement." Danzo gave a small nod of approval, obviously not trusting Hiruzen to be able to kill his ex-student in cold blood. "Don't worry about Hashirama-sensei and Tobirama-sensei. Hiruzen and I will stop them here."

With the reassurance given to him by the two elders, Kizashi wasted no time in dashing towards Orochimaru, who now has an ugly scowl on his face at the interruption. Orochimaru's attempt in summoning more undead corpses with Edo Tensei was foiled when Kizashi appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, preventing him from forming hand seals.

"**CHA**!"

A powerful punch knocked Orochimaru backwards and he was forced to use his unique brand of substitution jutsu to get out unscathed when his body slammed into the walls of the Four Violet Flames Formation. The flaming walls immediately came down when ANBU members began to follow Sarutobi Hiruzen's example and emerged from below the roof that they are at through unknown means, proceeding to engage the Sound Four in battle and forcing them to drop the barrier.

He should have forgone the dramatics and chose a better place for battle. What possessed him to take on Kizashi on the rooftops anyway?

Orochimaru immediately tried to gain distance the moment Kizashi is on him again. Kizashi is arguably the strongest taijutsu specialist across the Elemental Nations. Combined with his unique brand of ninjutsu, he is near untouchable and nigh invincible against any kind of damage. The Haruno Clan is an offshoot of the Senju Clan, and Kizashi had inherited the renowned vitality of the Senju Clan just as members of the Haruno Clan had before him, making him a very scary adversary to face no matter who you are.

"This ends here now." Kizashi growled out as the very air itself distort under the pressure of Kizashi's chakra, which Orochimaru recognised as the beginning signs of the Haruno clan techniques. Orochimaru can only let a resigned smirk rest on his face as a drop of sweat slid down. Jiraiya may be a fool, but there is no denying that he is a damn good teacher. Every student that he had taught turned out to be monsters in their own right.

Even in death, that buffoon never failed to make life hard for him.

**"Secret Technique, Yang Release: Bishamon!"**

The technique named after the God of Warriors took form as Kizashi created an elegantly crafted suit of armour made of solid Yang chakra to wear for himself, looking similar to those worn by samurais. The translucent armour worn by Kizashi glowed in a golden yellow hue of Yang chakra, shining proudly and daring anyone to try and see if they can even inflict a single scratch on it. Bishamon is a variation of barrier ninjutsu similar to the ones used by the ninja monks of the Fire Temple. However, unlike the ninja monks and their vastly inferior techniques, Kizashi has complete mastery over this branch of barrier ninjutsu with his Yang Release, which requires the user to have an abundance of Yang based chakra to unleash its true potential. Users of Yang Release are rare, and shinobis like Kizashi who have complete mastery over said element are even rarer. Yang Release techniques are hard to master because it is heavily reliant on the user's lifeforce and vitality, and not everyone is blessed with such a gift like the Senjus, Uzumakis, or the Harunos.

Even among members of such clans, Kizashi's vitality and lifeforce is easily top-notch, rivalling those of Senju Hashirama himself.

The stern visage of the mythical Bishamon, the God of War, appeared behind Kizashi briefly before disappearing, but the chakra armour Kizashi wore stayed. The Fourth Hokage of Konoha stood in his newly donned armour as the very pressure of his chakra cracked the roof tiles he stood on without even him trying. Kizashi's appearance had took on a change as well. His hair is even spikier than what it could possibly be, his muscles bulging, veins throbbing beneath his skin and the amount of bloodlust exuded by the pink haired Hokage caught the attention of every single shinobi in the area, friends and foes alike. All in all, the very image of Kizashi now reminded Orochimaru once again why Haruno Kizashi was labelled with the moniker of "War God" by other villages, the dangerous SS rank shinobi capable of tearing shinobis apart with his bare hands and incapable of receiving damage even from a Tailed Beast. He certainly looks like the part.

This battle will be interesting.

A wall of snakes formed when Orochimaru started off their battle using Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes. Kizashi looked unbothered as he casually destroyed the snakes with a single wave of his hand. The force of the blow produced a wind so strong that it sent the Snake Sannin skidding a few feet backwards.

"Here I come, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru raised the Sword of Kusanagi just in time to block a punch from the now armoured fist of Kizashi. Even then, the force of the blow rattled his bones. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes when he saw that even the Sword of Kusanagi proved incapable of leaving a scratch on Kizashi's armour that is made of pure Yang chakra.

Kizashi's defence is still as good as ever.

The two Kage level shinobis exchanged a series of blows rapidly, destroying the building that they are standing on in the process. The shockwaves produced from their attacks was so powerful that it resulted in a large amount of collateral damage. Orochimaru did several attempts to gain some distance from the enraged Hokage but Kizashi never allowed him the chance to do so, forcing the Snake Sannin to stick to using taijutsu in holding off the attacks. Genjutsus seems to be incapable of stopping the rampaging Hokage on his warpath as well, since every attempt on Orochimaru's part failed spectacularly. The irregular pulsation of Yang chakra by Kizashi had somehow made it difficult for the chakra of his genjutsus to invade Kizashi's own chakra system.

Orochimaru has some theories of his own on how that worked. He will have to test it out in his lab once this invasion is over.

Directing chakra to his fingertips on his right hand, Orochimaru slammed his fingers against Kizashi's fist in an attempt to disrupt the chakra flow of the Yang chakra armour coating Kizashi's body. The entirety of Orochimaru's right arm was blown away from the impact, which he quickly regenerated with snakes growing out of the stump of his right arm. The armour of solid chakra only flickered slightly as the potency of Kizashi's Yang chakra quickly burned away the Five Elements Seal that Orochimaru had attempted to imprint on the armour created by the Bishamon technique.

Well, there goes another of his options. Time for Plan C.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Seeing an opportunity, Orochimaru created a huge gust of wind that tore everything in front of him and blasted them into the air. Kizashi merely cocked his arm back before punching at the air in front of him, the speed of the punch producing a vacuum that collided with Orochimaru's jutsu in a shockwave and cancelling the attack.

"Surrender, Orochimaru, and I can grant you a quick death."

"Quite full of yourself, aren't you?" Orochimaru taunted, although he knows Kizashi has the right to be arrogant. The Bishamon technique is indestructible. None of the techniques that Orochimaru knew have offensive capabilities strong enough to tear through the armour of solid chakra that Kizashi wore. Kizashi's abundance of Yang chakra and mastery over the Yang Release meant that he can sustain the technique for long periods of time. There is also the fact that even his Sword of Kusanagi is incapable of scratching it, and there are rumours that even the Kyubi didn't managed to destroy Kizashi's armour during the Kyubi attack many years ago when Kizashi was defending the village from the fox. Combine the Bishamon technique with Kizashi's expertise in taijutsu, the result is an unstoppable warrior in the form of Haruno Kizashi, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Namikaze Minato was a candidate for the position as well, just like Orochimaru was, but none of their attacks back then have the sheer offensive power needed to tear through Kizashi's defences. If given time, Minato could probably counter the Bishamon technique with some sort of seal, but that is only if the Namikaze brat had time to prepare.

Orochimaru knew from the start that in terms of raw combat strength alone, close to no one is able to match Haruno Kizashi, even the Kages of other Hidden Villages. However, he is not here to win the battle.

He is here to win the war, and simply by holding Kizashi here, the tides of the war are turning in his favour. In the end, he will still be the overall winner.

After all, no matter how strong Konoha may be, even the strongest Hidden Village will incur great loss and casualties in repelling an invasion launched in collaboration by two of the Big Five and the Hidden Sound. Furthermore, the invasion took place right in the village itself. The strength of the village lies in its military, not the individual, and Orochimaru understands that extremely well. Kizashi can be the strongest shinobi in the history of the Elemental Nations but if he is incapable of defending his shinobis from harm, then all is for naught. By reducing Konoha's military strength and killing off the next generation of Konoha's shinobis, even Konoha will have problems to continue holding onto its seat of power as the strongest Hidden Village in the Elemental nations.

Things will get interesting once more the moment the power dynamic between the Big Five changes after this war. It doesn't matter if he can defeat Kizashi or not, his objectives in getting the wind of change to blow again had been met. Orochimaru has this win in the bag. Things will start to get interesting once again. Judging from the look on Kizashi's face as the cries and screams of the numerous battles that dotted Konoha reached their ears, the Hokage had realised it as well.

"Kukuku… what will you do now, I wonder? Will you continue to try and kill me, or will you be the benevolent Hokage that you are to try and reduce the casualties to a minimum? At this rate, I won't be surprised if Konoha loses at least half their military strength. All of your S rank shinobis have their hands tied and there is no one left to finish the war in one decisive blow. Right now, the outcome of this invasion can only be decided through a battle of attrition."

Orochimaru substituted himself with a mud clone when Kizashi's fist of fury launched at him again, although Orochimaru cannot help but smirk. Minato is busy fighting Ay. Kushina is dealing with Bee. Kato Dan is battling the entire regiment of Suna's Puppet Brigade and he can sense Tsunade near the area where the Nibi is at. His ex-sensei and Danzo are busy trying to stop the reanimated Hokages from destroying the village they founded. Fugaku and the KMPF have their hands tied trying to bring the civilians and non-combatants to safety among the chaos. Other notable shinobis that are left are shinobis such as Itachi, Obito, and Kakashi, and even then there is only so much they can do against an entire army. To add on, Suna and Kumo have powerful shinobis in their ranks as well, such as Baki and Darui. There is no way Konoha can get out of this invasion unscathed. Kizashi can destroy armies easily, but choosing to do that will mean letting Orochimaru get away scot free and Orochimaru knows that there is no way Kizashi will allow that to happen. Kizashi is forced to fight Orochimaru himself if he doesn't want to risk the Snake Sannin escaping and causing more harm to the village in the future.

With this, Kizashi is stuck in between a rock and a hard place, and they both knew it. Orochimaru cannot help but let a snake-ish smile creep up his face. This is the start of Konoha's decline, whether it be today or the near future.

Kizashi had a thoughtful look on his face before he took a stance and went through hand seals.

"I won't let your plans succeed, Orochimaru."

Shadow Clones of Kizashi in the Bishamon armour appeared by the dozens as they quickly split up and headed towards the different parts of the village which are engulfed in battle. So that's Kizashi's plan? Sending clones of himself to the different battlefields to lessen the casualties? The number of clones Kizashi created is enough to fill at least half the stadium, surely such a feat has to come at a cost?

"It's too late to be sending reinforcements to your fellow Konoha nins now, _Hokage-sama_." Orochimaru sneered as their battle resumed. The shine of Kizashi's armour had dulled significantly after the move he pulled, and Orochimaru noted with delight that his Sword of Kusanagi is now able to damage the armour, even if it the results are only scratches against the armour of solid chakra. The number of clones must have consumed a large part of Kizashi's chakra, indirectly weakening Kizashi's hold on his infamous Bishamon technique.

"Who says that it is too late?" Kizashi retorted as he kicked Orochimaru away from him, mentally hoping that the army of his Shadow Clones will finish what he started. There is only one way left if he wants to ensure that Konoha keeps her casualties to a minimum while killing Orochimaru off for good. He can only hope that the Yang chakra he imbued into his clones were enough to save the injured before it is too late. His mastery over Yang natured chakra allows him to sense the lifeforce of the people around him, and he knows that while the number of injured are high, the death toll is not as bad as he imagined it to be. He can still salvage the situation by ensuring that the injured will not continue to add on to the death toll. Tsunade's healing capabilities through Katsuyu is also helping in this endeavour, but she is only one person and her hands are currently full in trying to suppress the Nibi.

Very likely, he will have to sacrifice his life today to bring Orochimaru down while trying to keep the people of Konoha alive at the same time. That is fine by him. He is the Hokage, the protector of Konoha. The only regret he has is that he will not be able to see his lovely daughter grow up and he knows that Mebuki will be devastated, but he had made his choice. He can only hope that one of his clones can reach Sakura fast enough before he has no choice but to use that jutsu. The power of the Haruno clan cannot be extinguished at his hands. Like the Will of Fire, it has to be passed on before his demise. Sakura is the last of his clan and the inheritor of the clan's powers, the last thing he can do as her father is to pass to Sakura her birth right as a Haruno.

As a father, he will do all he can to equip his daughter as well as he can to protect herself in this chaotic world. As a Hokage, he will defend Konoha and the next generation of the village no matter what it takes.

Even if it cost him his life.

* * *

Sakura spat out some blood from her mouth before going back in to smash an Oto nin in the face using her fists, caving his skull in instantly.

Her team, together with Team 8 and Team 10, were commanded by their jonin senseis to hunt Gaara down to prevent him from calling upon the beast sealed within him. It will be disastrous if they have another rampaging biju going crazy within their village, and they count themselves lucky that Haku had managed to inflict a significant injury on Gaara to stop him before he can go batshit insane. The three teams were onto Gaara and his siblings immediately, with Team 8 leading the way due to their expertise in tracking. However, they were intercepted by groups upon groups of Oto, Suna, and Kumo shinobis along the way, and some of them were forced to stay behind so that the rest can continue their pursuit of Gaara without interference. Sakura knows that she is far from being the fastest in their group and she might drag down the group's speed as a result, so she volunteered to stay behind to intercept their pursuers, allowing the rest to go on ahead unhindered.

Her clan's unique techniques in manipulating Yang natured chakra proved to be invaluable as she used it to mitigate most physical damages she received. The unnatural strength she inherited from her father allows her to brute force her way through their opposition, smashing anything she comes across into paste with her fists alone. However, she knows that she is still young and inexperienced, and she is starting to feel the fatigue from holding onto her clan techniques for so long. Yang Release jutsus are not easy to learn and control. She had barely skimmed the surface of such techniques even with the guidance her father had provided since young. It is just that hard to master.

She clads her fist with a solid shroud of Yang natured chakra as she ended another Oto shinobi with a single punch. Team 10 had stayed behind as well since they cannot keep up with the pace of their friends who are a lot faster in speed. Choji is surprisingly good in wiping out a huge number of their enemies with his Multi-Size Technique. The Akimichi clan techniques are also largely based around Yang natured chakra, but the way Sakura's clan utilise it takes it to the extreme as the Haruno clan techniques requires the Yang natured chakra to be so dense that it can be visibly seen with the naked eye. Other people will not be able to achieve it unless they are born with superior vitality like she is. As far as she knows, her jutsu is a brand of jutsu that only the Senjus, Uzumakis, or the Harunos can possibly achieve.

To date, only her father and her were able to use Yang Release in this manner. At least, that was what her father told her.

Sakura barely managed to get Shikamaru out of harm's way when a lightning based jutsu nearly found its target on the shadow user. Shikamaru has the smallest chakra reserves among them, and it is not hard to see that he is utterly spent. Furthermore, he had already expended most of his chakra in his fight against Temari during the exams earlier, making this even harder for him. The list of battle plans that the Nara genius had thought up had allowed them to survive as long as they did, holding such a large group off with only four people, but all of them are starting to run on fumes.

At this rate, their enemies would not be the one to do them in, exhaustion will.

"Forehead! Shika!"

"We are fine!" Sakura called back before throwing a kunai which found its mark in the skull of a Kumo shinobi. "We need to retreat! There's too many of them!"

"I will clear the way!"

With a roar that Sakura had never heard the gentle boy cry out before, Choji batted away a large group of enemies with an enlarged fist. The four of them wasted no time in running for their lives. They did their best, but their best is still not enough in this case. They can only hope that they had weakened the invading force enough on their part and someone more qualified in Konoha can finish the job for them.

They are still too slow. Their enemies had caught up again.

"Damn it! We are surrounded! Shika! You got a plan?"

"I'm trying to think, woman! Stop your harping!"

Shikamaru looked visibly stressed out as his mind undoubtedly went through numerous scenarios and possibilities on how they could get themselves out of this bind. Even Choji is running out of chakra, and they have no one that they can count on right now. All of their jonin senseis are busy in trying to repel the invasion. Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai had stayed behind to clear the stadium of any hostile shinobis. Obito had said that he will go and assist Kushina to suppress Bee. Sakura knows that Kakashi-sensei himself had gone to hunt Darui down the moment he spotted the renowned Kumo jonin chasing after Hanabi for reasons unknown. She can only hope that her perverted and lazy sensei reaches Hanabi in time.

Just when Sakura thought that all hopes are lost, visions of translucent fists made up of solid Yang chakra rained down from the skies, taking out all of the invading forces surrounding the four of them in an instant. Sakura's eyes widened. She knew that jutsu.

"Dad!"

"Have no fear! For the gallant Haruno Kizashi is here!"

Sakura cannot help but groan the moment she spotted her father walking up to them in that goofy persona. He can be the stern and strict Hokage in public, but back home, his goofiness really makes her want to strangle him at times. It can be so embarrassing! Can he at least don't act in this manner in front of her friends?!

"You guys alright?"

The four of them nodded, too tired to be feeling anything but relief at this moment.

"You are a clone, aren't you?" Sakura stated with narrowed eyes the moment her chakra senses told her that something is not quite right with her father. If this is his clone, then where is her father? Is he ok?

"Smart as ever, young lady!" Kizashi ruffled her hair and Sakura scowled although she is too tired right now to bat his hand away. He knows just how much she hates getting her hair messed up, her father is doing this just to mess with her.

"Dad?" Sakura questioned the moment she felt the large influx of Yang chakra her father's clone is transferring to her. Part of her clan's techniques requires the user to master the art of transferring Yang natured chakra from person to person, and Sakura knows enough to tell that whatever her father is doing, it is definitely something that he will not usually do.

Something is wrong here.

"You are old enough to inherit the clan's power, Sakura." Her father's uncharacteristic serious tone got Sakura snapping her head up in alarm. "Right now, the last thing I can do as your father is to ensure that you are as well-equipped as you can be for what is to come. There is a possibility that another war might break out after this invasion is over, and I want you to survive, no matter how hard things can be. Can you do that for me?"

"D-Dad?" Sakura asked in a shaky voice. What's going on? Her father is the _Fourth Hokage of Konoha_, the _War God Kizashi_. She knows that while Orochimaru is strong, the chances of the Snake Sannin defeating her father in a straight on fight is slim to none. Her father's and their clan's signature technique, the Bishamon, makes him nigh invincible. According to her mother, even the Kyubi was unable to put a scratch on her father's chakra armour during the Kyubi attack. Her father's defence is just that strong. Combined with the lethality of his taijutsu, his near endless stamina and enormous reserve of Yang chakra, there is nothing she knows that can put her father down.

"It is my fault. I shouldn't have allowed Kumo to take part in the exams and I should have recognised Orochimaru's disguise sooner. I cannot allow Konoha to suffer any more casualties as it is. At this rate, even if we successfully repelled the invasion, Konoha would be too weak to defend itself against other external threats once this is over. Iwa is still watching us like hawks, the situation in Kiri is still a huge question mark and no one truly knows what is going on in there. I also know that there are many smaller villages out there who want to do us harm. For the sake of Konoha's future, I have to ensure that Konoha's strength does not dwindle any further. I don't know how many of our comrades had already died, but I can at least ensure that nobody else dies under my watch starting from now."

"You don't mean-!"

Kizashi's solemn nod told Sakura everything she needed to know.

"Our clan's secret technique. Yang Release: Life Transference Jutsu. It is similar to what Lady Chiyo of Suna had invented as far as I know, with a few differences. Even as we speak, I can feel many of our comrades' lives slowly fading. With this jutsu, I can at least help them last long enough until I kill Orochimaru and force our enemies to retreat, buying time for medical help to arrive and save the lives of our shinobis. There is a high chance that I might not live to see the next sunrise, so I am passing on our clan's secret to you, right here, right now."

Team 10 got the hint and after giving the Hokage a respectful bow, quickly made themselves scarce to give the Harunos some privacy.

"I-I don't need any clan techniques, Dad! I-!"

"I know." Kizashi said gently as he pulled Sakura into a hug. "But we can't get everything we want. I am the Hokage, it is my duty to protect the village and its people. Besides, you inherited my Will of Fire." Kizashi poked at where her heart is. "As long as you have it, then I will always live within you. Anyway, can you feel it? The chakra I am transferring over to you?"

Sakura nodded mutely, but no matter how hard she tried, she cannot stop the tears streaming down her face and the choked sobs that escaped her mouth. She doesn't want to accept this. _She doesn't want her father to die_. She doesn't want to inherit her clan's secret techniques. All she wants is for her father to return back to her side alive.

"This is the true secret behind our clan techniques. The chakra I am giving you is the product of the chakra nurtured by the first head of the Haruno clan ever since he split off from the Senju. Since then, every Head of the Clan will receive the chakra nurtured by his predecessor and continue to nurture it, and then he will pass a portion of the combined efforts of the nurtured chakra down to his successor when his time is up. The portion of chakra received by the successor becomes the new seed which he or she will continue to grow. The cycle continues, so that the resulting chakra accumulated over the years will grow stronger and stronger the longer the chakra is passed down from one Haruno to the next. What you are receiving now is the strength that every Head of the Haruno Clan, me included, had accumulated. The potency of our Yang chakra has no rivals in the Elemental Nations. When the time comes, you will pass this strength to your children as well, along with your own. The method which our clan use to nurture, cultivate, and pass on our chakra to our next generation is the reason why my Bishamon technique is so formidable, because I have the combined strength of my predecessors at my disposal."

Kizashi enveloped his only child and daughter in a hug and like a dam had broken, Sakura bawled her eyes out and hugged her father tightly, not wanting to let go of her father even if it is just a clone.

"You are a strong child, Sakura. I love you so very much, you know? I know you can survive this and whatever challenges you may find yourself in. Can you stay strong for me?"

Sakura's hold on Kizashi tightened.

"Sakura. Please. I don't have much time left."

"I-I will try!"

"That's all I ask from you. Thank you." Kizashi planted a kiss on her forehead as both father and daughter look at each other for the last time. "Try to not make your mother burst a blood vessel or two while I'm gone, and don't hog couch-kun too much. Seriously, you need to stop being a couch potato."

Sakura choked out a laugh at the memories of her and her father fighting for the rights to use the couch in the living room all the time.

She wouldn't have a chance to fight for such rights again after today.

"L-Like you have the right to speak."

"Is that sass I am hearing, young lady?" Kizashi admonished in mock anger before another bright smile cross his face.

"I have to go now, Sakura." He said as his large hand rested on the top of her head for the last time. The physical form of the clone is fading as a large amount of foreign Yang chakra flowed into Sakura's chakra network. "Stay safe, and take care of your mother for me."

"I-I love you, Dad." Sakura choked out her last words to her father, wanting her father to know just how much she loves him and how proud she is of him before they are separated worlds apart. "K-Kick Orochimaru's ass for me, show the world how great of a Hokage you are."

Kizashi grinned.

"I promise. I love you too, sweetheart."

With that, the clone disappeared in wisps of yellow-golden Yang chakra, which swirled protectively around her before entering Sakura's body. Sakura used her arms to wipe away the tears from her face. She is Haruno Sakura, daughter of the Yondaime Hokage, Haruno Kizashi, the War God. She will grieve later. Right now, she has to help defend the village that her father is protecting at the cost of his life.

Her chakra reserves had filled up once again thanks to her father, and she can feel a new power welling within her. It is foreign yet warm, like it is supposed to be a part of her all along despite only receiving it recently. Sakura ran to reunite with her friends and growled in anger when she saw Team 10 getting attacked from all sides by hostile shinobis.

Sakura leapt up high into the air, fist cocked back like what her father had taught her the moment he deemed her old enough to learn how to fight. She gathered a dangerous amount of Yang natured chakra into her fist, larger and more potent than she had ever managed to do, before letting gravity pull her down as she prepared to destroy the very ground itself, and with it the shinobis who dared to even invade her home and harm her friends.

This invasion had already taken her father away from her. She will be damned if it takes her friends away as well.

"**SHAAANNAAAARO**!"

Her fist connected.

The earth ruptured.


	16. Chapter 16- With My Life

_No_

_Please, no._

"**HANABI**!"

I reached Hanabi's side and quickly erected a dome of ice around who I identified as Darui, trapping him in there for now. I will deal with him later, Hanabi's condition takes precedence.

There is a hole bigger than the size of my fist on the left side of Hanabi's torso, just right below her ribcage. My ice had managed to deflect the laser beam just enough to miss Hanabi's heart, but it still wasn't enough.

_She is dying._

_What do I do? **WHAT DO I DO?!**_

Blood is still pooling out of her.

_Snap out of this, Yuki Haku! Calm down and THINK! **What** can you possibly do right now?!_

I snapped my mind back into working order upon seeing the pool of blood that is steadily growing larger beneath her. I need to save her. _I need to save her_!

I can hear the sound of battles occurring near me. I can hear Darui trying to blast a way out of his temporary confinement. I can hear Tsunade and Yamato working on trying to contain Yugito, who is taking advantage of my absence to try and break free. I can hear the shouts and screams amidst the destruction.

But now, I couldn't care. The only thing I care about is to try and save Hanabi. _If she dies…_

No, she won't die.

_Not on my watch._

Blood is largely made of water. It is not the best option I have, and definitely not sanitary, but I cannot think of anything else in such a short period of time. Using my control over water, I took control of the blood spilled out of her and forcefully shoved it back into her body where it should belong. I filled the gaping hole in her body with solid ice to plug it, hoping that it is sufficient to buy enough time until a skilled med-nin is able to arrive and fix her.

Wait, there's something else

"Katsuyu! Save her, please!"

"My orders are to-"

"JUST SAVE HER!"

I detached the slug summon on my shoulder and placed it on Hanabi's injury. Her breathings are getting weaker by the second. I need to do something, there **_must_** be something I can do!

Katsuyu didn't say another word, but the greenish glow is all I need to know as I slowly unfreeze the hole I plugged with my ice for Katsuyu to try and close it with medical chakra.

"This injury is too severe for me to heal properly. I can stop bleeding and heal cuts, yes. But closing a hole as big as this located next to many of her vital organs is not what I am good at. She's _missing_ a few of her _organs_, child. They are fried. One misstep on my part is all it takes to kill her. Tsunade-sama might be able to do something, but she isn't free now."

My dome of ice shattered as Darui emerged from it. He went through several hand seals as I vengefully sent spears of ice his way with a snarl, forcing him to dodge before he can complete his jutsu. Still, we are at a disadvantage. I cannot move Hanabi from where she had fallen for fear of worsening her condition. We are sitting ducks.

"Lightning Release: Black Panther!"

"Katsuyu, I will defend you and Hanabi! Please, **_just save her_**!"

"I will try my best."

I desperately conjured a wall of ice that barely withstood the mysterious black lightning, and my construct shattered the moment Darui cleaved it with the lightning-coated blade in his hand. I was about to dive right in to get Darui away from here when a flash of purple lightning separated him from me.

"Haku, get back! I will handle him!"

I have never been more relieved to see Hatake Kakashi as he swooped in with purple electricity coating his hands. Kakashi engaged Darui in close combat as his purple lightning split Darui's cleaver into two. Darui was forced to abandon his destroyed weapon before responding in kind with his black lightning. The two Lightning Release users clashed with each other in a violent display of black and violet as Kakashi forcefully herd Darui out of the area.

I turned my attention back to Hanabi. Katsuyu had taken to using its body's jelly-like properties to stem the blood from flowing out of Hanabi and release a constant stream of medical chakra to try and delay death from claiming her. I don't need to be a med-nin to know that this will not be enough. If only Tsunade is free to help save Hanabi.

"Katsuyu, can Tsunade heal an injury on this level?"

"There is no such thing as 'definite', young shinobi." Katsuyu replied from where she is latched onto Hanabi. "Lady Tsunade might be able to, but that really depends on how severe this injury really is. She is but a medic, not a miracle worker. This girl had just received a direct attack from a **_Storm_** Release jutsu, a kekkei genkai. There's no telling how that will affect her body, especially her internal organs. To be honest, I am surprised that her remaining internal organs are still somewhat functioning from all the electrical shock she received."

"But there's a chance to save her."

"There's a chance." Katsuyu confirmed. "Not 100% and it is slim, but there's a chance."

I looked back at the two Senjus that are still battling Yugito, who is slowly breaking free of her constraints. I can see Yamato stabbing the Kumo jinchuriki with sharp spikes of wood to put her down but Yugito simply forced it out of her body with a sheer blast of raw reddish Tailed Beast chakra. I watched as the holes on her body healed with a hiss of steam in a matter of seconds. My eyes widened at the sight.

_Of course_, the only people who can heal such a fatal injury inflicted on them within seconds that is not Tsunade are jinchurikis.

I quickly made several ice clones, who immediately moved to Hanabi's side to implement our plan to save her. A crazy plan, but if it works, she can be saved. She might hate me for it later but as long as she is safe, I will bear the hatred without complaints.

Even if it means letting the one person who I cherished the most to hate me for eternity, I will do it.

I will not allow her to die.

_I will burn the world itself just for a chance to save her._

* * *

Senju Tsunade watched in surprise as the ice boy dived back into battle with ice chains sprouting out of his body and wrapping themselves around Yugito. She doesn't know _exactly_ what is so special about those ice chains to be able to suppress even Tailed Beasts, only that it involves seals somehow, but immediately, the pressure she and Yamato are facing lessened considerably.

"Good job- **WHAT** ARE YOU DOING?!"

Tsunade screamed in worry, shock, and rage as the ice boy threw all caution to the wind and headed straight for Yugito, who is still covered in the one-tail version of her chakra shroud. The fingertips of his left hand are flaring with chakra while his right is manifesting the signature jutsu of the Namikaze brat. She would have jumped in and pulled the boy back, but she is currently too busy with supplying chakra to her son to allow him to continue to suppress Yugito's Tailed Beast chakra with his Wood Release.

"A Rasengan won't take her down, boy! Get **back** here!"

Her words went unheeded as the boy forcefully slammed the chakra ball into Yugito's gut. Yugito raised her arms to slash at the boy with her elongated fingernails, only for Yamato to sprout more wood from the ground to restrain them, allowing Haku to have his way.

With a shout that sounded more like an animal's than a human, the boy's Rasengan managed to grind through Yugito's chakra shroud temporarily despite having the skin on his right forearm burnt from the contact with Yugito's corrosive chakra. Yugito's chakra shroud near her gut dissipated for a short while, but it was enough time for the boy to now slam his other chakra-coated hand on the unprotected area.

And everything went wrong from there.

Yugito howled painfully as the Nibi's chakra burst out in even larger waves and destroyed all forms of containment on her, including the ones she and Yamato had painstakingly set up earlier.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"Saving Hanabi." The boy replied as he ignored the state of his partially burnt right arm. His right sleeve had been burnt off. His skin had nearly suffered the same fate if it wasn't for the boy's quick thinking in coating it with a layer of ice for extra protection before his insane act.

Another unearthly howl shook the earth. Tsunade turned around and watched in fear as the form of the Two Tailed cat slowly emerged and take form, clawing its way out from Yugito who is now writhing and screaming on the floor in pain and her hands on the area where Haku had hit her, as if trying to keep something in.

The boy ignored everyone and everything else as his chains reappeared and wrapped themselves around the Nibi, which is still trying to escape from its human prison.

"You-! You **_released_** the Nibi from its jinchuriki?!"

"Minato-touchan taught me how to break seals, including those that are used to contain Tailed Beasts."

"You idiot! Do you know how _dangerous_ it is?! Now the **_whole_**_ of Konoha_ is at risk from a rampaging Tailed Beast! There is a good reason why Yamato and I were aiming to contain the jinchuriki, not the beast itself!"

"I don't care." The boy spoke coldly as his chains of ice forcefully tugged on the beast, hastening the separation process of the Nibi from its host. More chains of ice sprouted out of his body and wrapped around the Nibi's neck.

"You-!"

"Either Konoha gets an unwilling Kumo jinchuriki, or we can get a jinchuriki loyal to our village in the form of Hanabi." The boy spoke with no hints of emotion to his voice, but the worried glances he sent towards the fallen Hyuga girl betrayed just how anxious he is about her condition.

"She is just _one_ person." Tsunade hissed out in fury. "You cannot jeopardise the safety of the _entire village_ for _one_ person. Grow up, kid. People die all the time on the battlefield. She is a shinobi, dying on the field is part of the job description. What you just did-"

A harsh cold breeze emitted from the boy cut her off.

"_I don't give a shit_ about what **_you_** think. You can either stay there and watch me work, or you can opt to help me with the extraction and resealing process. Of course, there is a chance that I might fail and the Nibi will run free and destroy Konoha if you choose not to help. Your choice. I am not like you. I am not a loyal shinobi of Konoha and I never once believed in the Will of Fire. Remember, I was brought here against my will. The only thing I want to do now is to save Hanabi, Konoha can burn down for all I care. Your choice, Senju Tsunade."

Tsunade gritted her teeth as she seethed in rage. The boy had got her into a corner and now she is left with no choice but to undertake this near impossible job.

"I will see to it that you will be severely dealt with once this is over, kid."

"I told you, I don't care. If Hanabi can be saved, you can take my life if need be."

Yamato himself had come to a decision, seeing that he summoned forests worth of wood from the ground to help restrain the escaping beast and also trying to pull it out of Yugito. Tsunade walked over to the fallen Hyuga that is surrounded by numerous ice clones around her, writing seals on her body with her own blood. Tsunade recognised her as the one of the heiresses of the Hyuga clan, the one who had nearly ended her competition in the Chunin Exams earlier.

"Katsuyu, let me take a look at her injuries."

Tsunade immediately went into her doctor-mode as she quickly assessed the girl's injuries and her expression turned grim when she saw the extent of Hanabi's injuries. It doesn't matter if she is known as the best medic nin in the Elemental Nations, the girl lost more than just a bucket load of blood. She is either missing several _organs_ or they had literally been _fried_ from the inside. Right now, the only way the girl has a chance to survive is to immediately ship her away into a surgery room, something which cannot be done right now since they are in war. Even then, the chances of saving her are slim and the chances of the girl making a full recovery are even smaller. If nothing is done within the next five minutes, this girl will definitely die. The injury she suffered is severe and is located too close to her almost-dead lungs, diaphragm, and dangerously near her heart. That is only the tip of the iceberg. She can also tell that it was a lightning based jutsu that had nearly killed her, although she is more inclined to think that someone with the rare Storm Release had done it judging from the unique state of the injury. It is a miracle that the Hyuga's heart hasn't stopped beating from the lethal dose of voltage so close to her heart.

No wonder the boy decided to do something as crazy as turning his little girlfriend into a jinchuriki in a last ditched attempt to save her. The healing powers of jinchurikis is a tale of legends. It might just be what is needed to save the girl.

Have to give the ice boy points for creativity alright.

"I know what seal you are trying to draw, I can take over the writing of seals from here and keeping her alive at the same time. Go help your original to suppress the kitty cat and drag it here."

The ice clones went to help their original and Yamato upon her words. Tsunade took over the writing of seals on the Hyuga girl's body while using her own medical chakra to keep her alive as long as possible. Admittedly, the boy did raise a good point. Even if Konoha survived this invasion and they caught Yugito, there comes the problem of how to deal with the captured jinchuriki. Extracting the beast and transfer it into a fellow Konoha shinobi would be the most likely outcome since Yugito's allegiance is to Kumo. Like the boy said, either Konoha gets an unwilling jinchuriki, or they can get themselves one that is loyal to them.

This better be worth it.

Tsunade quickly continue to draw the seals from where it was left off and is surprised to see that the Yuki boy have such an extensive knowledge on the Uzumaki's sealing arts from what she can see in his unfinished work. Seems like Kushina and Minato really do like this brat.

She **_will_** have words with them later about the boy's behaviour. Her fellow Uzumaki needs to control the boy better since last she heard, Kushina and Minato are his godparents. His lack of loyalty to the village is a cause for concern. The fact that he purposely endangered the whole village just to force her to save the Hyuga girl is **_not_** acceptable.

That will come later. For now, they have to turn the Hyuga girl into a jinchuriki to save the village from a rampaging overgrown cat. She is not paid enough to deal with this shit.

"Tsunade-san."

"Kizashi?" Tsunade asked in surprise as a clone of Haruno Kizashi appeared in a shunshin. He spotted the downed Hyuga immediately and without delay, knelt down and pressed a hand onto the Hyuga girl's injured area.

"Yang Release: Life Transference Jutsu."

Tsunade's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets at the sight. Under the hands of a skilled user, the Yang Release is known to be able to be utilised in a way to regenerate even missing organs, but with the way Kizashi's clone is doing it, it will have irreversible impacts on his original!

"Kizashi! Stop that jutsu! You-!"

"We cannot afford to just survive this battle, Tsunade-san. We need to survive the war that is to come." Clone-Kizashi said calmly as he went ahead in using the Life Transference Jutsu, slowly regenerating and rejuvenating Hanabi's missing and damaged organs. "We need to ensure that the next generation of Konoha lives on, that includes Hanabi. She is strong, she just needs time to grow into her full strength. We cannot allow the flames of the next generation to be snuffed out before they grow into the fire that we know they can be. That's what we adults are for, to protect the next generation until they are strong enough to lead Konoha. They are the ones who will inherit our Will of Fire, just as we inherited our predecessors'."

"There are better ways to-"

"I'm just a clone, one out of many. My original is still stuck in a battle with Orochimaru. Every single clone is now spread throughout Konoha, transferring my original's Yang chakra using this jutsu to keep them alive and heal their injuries as much as possible. My Yang Release can even grow missing organs back, Tsunade-san, you know this better than anyone. Hanabi urgently needs my help right now. With this jutsu, I can reduce Konoha's casualties to a minimum. It is the best option I have right now to help Konoha as Hokage. My regenerative powers won't lose even when compared to a jinchuriki. As long as our comrades are not dead yet, they can still survive. However, your expertise will still be needed after this invasion is over. Go. Go and help heal our comrades that is still fighting out there. I will ensure that Hanabi remains alive."

Tsunade frowned.

"The ice boy wants to make the girl into a jinchuriki to save her. He disobeyed all orders, jeopardised the safety of the entire village, just to save her. You really want to proceed with this?"

"…Not exactly the worst decision he can make, considering Haku's personality and his view towards the village." The clone of Kizashi said after a brief period of silence. "Please don't be too harsh on him. It is partly my fault he turned out this way, I could have handled things a little better when he first arrived so many years ago. His hate towards me, and by extension, the village, is understandable. And if this method allows Konoha to gain control of another tailed beast, why not? Besides, I don't think the entire Yang chakra I have now can fully save Hanabi. I'm but a clone with a small fraction of power of my original. Something as powerful as the Nibi's powers will be needed to keep Hanabi alive. Her injuries are really bad."

The howling of the monster cat screeched out once more, catching everyone's attention.

"He really gone and done it." Tsunade whispered as her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and disbelief. "How? He's only twelve or thirteen, right?"

The Nibi roared, just as Tsunade and clone-Kizashi spotted Yugito dropping lifelessly back onto the ground. This time, the Kumo kunoichi will not be getting up ever again. The Nibi itself is fully wrapped in thick roots and chains of ice, still trying to fight and break its constraints.

"HAKU! YAMATO!" Kizashi's clone bellowed out as he too went through hand seals of his own to prepare for the resealing. "DRAG THE NIBI HERE! **NOW**! HANABI DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT! WE NEED TO SEAL THE BEAST INTO HER IMMEDIATELY!"

Tsunade can see Haku's eyes widening a little in surprise upon spotting Kizashi, but it disappeared as fast as it came in favour of rescuing the Hyuga girl with Yamato's help.

"Lady Tsunade! On your right!"

Grateful for Katsuyu's warning, with a single punch, Tsunade immediately decimated the group of Kumo shinobis who had spotted them and realised what they are trying to do. She can see more hostile shinobis converging onto their location.

Damn it. _Nothing_ had gone well today. All she wanted was to win her bets at the Chunin Exams, even if she realistically knew that she probably would lose all her betting money all thanks to her eternal shitty luck. She knew something was so very wrong when she won every single one of her bets. It is times like this that she really hated her shitty gambling luck.

Dan better be alright as well. She knows he is strong, even when they are both retired shinobis and had not been active since the end of the Third War. Even then, she cannot help but be worried for him.

"Start the sealing process! I will hold them off!" Tsunade shouted back to the hastily formed jinchuriki-sealing-group. Her Yin Seal is already working at full power. For Konoha's sake, she will use every drop of her powers to ensure that the sealing process is completed. Her grandfather had founded this village for his dream of peace, and as his granddaughter, she will see to it that Konoha will remain standing.

She charged up the chakra in her fist when the hostile shinobis leapt into the sky to pounce on her. Maybe she had been in retirement for too long. Suna, Kumo, and Oto definitely needs a reminder on why she is coined with the title of the Legendary Sannin. And what else is a better reminder than caving their skulls in with a punch or two?

* * *

"**RASENGAN**!"

Naruto panted as she and Gaara both fell from the skies after their final clash. Boss Toad had disappeared in a puff of smoke, his work here is done the moment they succeeded in stopping the stupid crazy tanuki from going homicidal. It took almost two teams, Team 8 and Team 7 (_without Sakura-chan since she volunteered to stay behind to delay their pursuers_), to wake Gaara up and even then, they barely pulled through.

The two jinchurikis landed back onto the ground with a dull thud. Every fibre of Naruto's muscle screamed in pain, telling her to just stay still and lie there. Still, Naruto pushed herself as she struggled to crawl towards Gaara. There is still something that she can do, something that she can do for someone that knows the feeling of loneliness just as she once did.

Gaara is a victim as well. Like her, like her Haku-nii, he is but a victim.

There is still something she can do, but only if Gaara stops harming her precious people. She needs to let Gaara realise that he is not alone in this world. Tou-chan had always dreamt of peace and never once stopped working towards it, even when Kaa-chan always chided him that he is too naïve and idealistic. A fool, that's what her mother called her father, even if she used an endearing tone. Naruto knows that her mother had experienced the harsh reality of the shinobi world as an ex-jinchuriki. It was her experience that led her to believe that her father's version of peace will never come to pass. Still, Naruto found herself believing in her father's ideals. She still thinks that it is better to be an idealistic fool than to never try at all.

She too, dream of peace and of being Hokage. She was named after a character of a book, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, written by the great Jiraiya himself. Her father's sensei dreamt of world peace, the same peace her father is trying to reach and protect. If everybody can understand everybody else, peace will not be a faraway dream.

It is with this thought that she continues to crawl towards Gaara, who is now screaming at her to get away from him.

She will not stop. She will not give up on her dream. She will protect her precious people. This is her ninja way.

* * *

"What's wrong, Kizashi-kun? You are actually running out of stamina? You could have killed me long ago if you just decide to leave the villagers to their own fate, you know that? You are going to die here because you want to play hero."

"Someone as selfish as you will never get it, but I am the _Hokage_." Kizashi gritted out as he stood back up again. His Bishamon armour is already half gone from all the chakra he had expended and shared among his Shadow Clones to save whatever villagers and shinobis he can find. With his ability to sense the lifeforce of people in his village, and he is glad to see that no one had died the moment he decided to use his clones to go around using the Life Transference Jutsu to save whoever he can. It made his fight against Orochimaru a lot harder, but he can still win this, even if the cost for winning is his life.

Besides, from one of his Shadow Clone's memory, his daughter had told him to kick Orochimaru's ass. How can he refuse his baby girl's request? Now that his lovely cherry blossom had given him his order, he absolutely cannot allow himself to disappoint her.

There is one technique that he knows right now that can fully vanquish Orochimaru. If he wants to ensure that the Snake Sannin stays dead once and for all, he cannot pull any punches. Orochimaru is tougher than a cockroach summon and nothing short of total obliteration can kill him. However, Kizashi knew that he had used up too much chakra in his effort to save his village from further harm. Even if his battle with Orochimaru stops now, his lifeforce had been reduced so drastically from his widespread use of his clan's Life Transference Jutsu in saving the entire village that he probably doesn't have very long left to live.

He might as well go all out. It is all or nothing.

Throwing down the chest plate he wore, Kizashi jabbed a thumb at the chakra point located at his heart. This technique is not one he had mastered, that honour belongs to their resident taijutsu genius Might Guy, but it is enough to stop even Orochimaru. It complements very well with his unholy vitality, which was the main reason why he even bothered to learn it in the first place, in case he ever needs a suicide jutsu as his trump card.

This is the best time for him to use it. The sight of Orochimaru's eyes widening in fright is satisfying to watch as well. The snake of a man obviously realised what is going to happen.

**"EIGHT GATES: THE GATE OF DEATH, RELEASE!"**

"Are you **_crazy_**, Kizashi?!"

"**I AM THE YONDAIME HOKAGE OF KONOHA**! I WILL PROTECT MY VILLAGE AND ITS PEOPLE, EVEN IF IT MEANS PROTECTING IT AT THE COST OF MY LIFE!" Kizashi roared out as boiling steam of blood gushed out from his body, his body turning a shade of dark autumn red. He can feel his chakra reaching full capacity before it skyrocketed at least 100 times beyond what is normal for him. Thanks to that, his entire Bishamon armour materialised once more in its full and final glory.

"FOR THE SAKE OF KONOHA, I CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO LIVE! **DIE, OROCHIMARU!**"

Kizashi punched at the air in front of him in Orochimaru's direction, who had immediately used a Summoning Jutsu to block the incoming equivalent of an air cannon.

"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"

The three gates broke the moment Kizashi's attack made contact. A blur of red appeared in front of Orochimaru at the next instant.

"**Evening Elephant**!"

Using the move Guy had kindly shared with him, a cannon of pressurised air that resulted from Kizashi's single punch pressed Orochimaru down deep underground, who is forced to constantly regenerate himself if he doesn't want to be erased in a single blow. Orochimaru spotted four clones of Kizashi surrounding him, and he would have done something to prevent whatever Kizashi is planning to do if he can _at least move a single finger_.

_Damn it! Kizashi was hiding a trump card like **this** all along?! Since when did he learn how to use all Eight Gates?!_

**"FOUR RED YANG FORMATION!"**

The clones created a large barrier that erected itself in a square and extends all the way up into the sky, trapping Orochimaru and the original Kizashi within it.

"This is not a technique I can usually pull off by myself, at least not without opening the last gate." Kizashi stated as he walked up to Orochimaru, who is struggling to stand up and frantically regenerating the left side of his body which was crushed earlier by Kizashi's Evening Elephant.

"You of all people should know the power of the Four Red Yang Formation. Nothing goes in and out of here without me allowing it. There is no escape for you, Orochimaru. Both of us shall fall here today. Feel proud, for you are the only one who had managed to push me this far."

Kizashi took a stance, and Orochimaru had to use his entire strength to fight through the pressure of the Steam of Blood and Kizashi's potent chakra. Orochimaru watched in both scientific curiosity and undulated fear as the mixture of red steam and Kizashi's chakra took the form of an enormous dragon.

"I don't have complete mastery of this finishing move, but it will be enough. If it was Guy, knowing him, he would have used this last move in the form of a powerful kick. I myself prefer to punch."

"There's no way you can kill me!" Orochimaru declared with slight desperation, even if right now he doesn't know whether he is doing this out of fear to reassure himself or out of confidence in his ability to survive. "I am the one who will one day master all ninjutsus in the world! I am the one who will achieve true immortality! And I am the one who will discover all knowledge and the truth of the universe! Even if you kill me now, you cannot fully erase me! I will just undergo a rebirth!"

"You are the foolish one here, Orochimaru. You think I don't know that? Konoha has been keeping tabs on you. Sure, we don't know _everything_ you had done ever since you defected, but we know _enough_. Minato, Mikoto, and I studied your techniques, Orochimaru, based on what Jiraiya-sensei had found and left behind to us as per his will. He knew that there would be a chance that you will grow into a threat one day. He had made precautions before his demise, just in case he is no longer around to stop you should you go rogue. He left it to us to stop you if need be."

Orochimaru's heart dropped a little at Kizashi's confident claim. _Jiraiya?! That buffoon **again**! How could Jiraiya have foreseen **this** even from the Third War when even he himself at that point wasn't sure if he wanted to continue staying in Konoha?!_ Kizashi couldn't have found out about **_that_** part of his cursed seal, did he?

"You made a mistake marking Sasuke. From the mark you left on Sasuke, Minato was able to decipher the true workings of your cursed seal within a day. We now have confirmation of our theories on how your Living Corpse Reincarnation truly works. We know that your cursed seal implants a part of your soul into your victim, like the one you inflicted on young Sasuke. I don't know who else you put your seal on and how many you experimented on, but it doesn't matter. With my Yang Release, I can still kill you along with the rest of your fragmented soul. Yang cannot exist without Yin and Yin cannot exist without Yang, that is an absolute rule of this world. Your Living Corpse Reincarnation technique to transfer your consciousness from one host to the next works by transferring the Yin part of you, your mind and consciousness, which will take over and suppress the Yin part of your host, and then it leeches onto their Yang part, their vitality, and making it yours. With their Yang supporting your Yin to make sure your consciousness continues to live in your host's body, that's how your technique truly works, am I right? That's how you undergo your so-called reincarnation. However, with your host's Yin dominated by you, their Yang will dwindle and slowly fall apart. This is because every Yang for every host of yours needs their own Yin to continue to grow, not yours. That's why you need to switch bodies once every few years, because that's the limit for most of your hosts before their Yang dies out. You are not a great white snake, Orochimaru. You are just a pathetic leech, leeching on to the lifeforce of others to support your dying and corrupted soul."

"Shut up! SHUT UP!"

"My Yang chakra is potent enough to burn off your Yin and your current host's Yang. And what happens if I did that?" Kizashi continued, ignoring Orochimaru's cries of denial. "Your Yin, which represents your consciousness, will now have nothing to feed on, it won't be able to survive on its own. Your true Yang is gone for good ever since you undergo your first use of Living Corpse Reincarnation and discarded your true body. Without any Yang for you to leech on, your Yin will die. The rest of your scattered soul are part of your Yin as well, and my Yang chakra can find its way to them through you, like following the ends of a thread of a spiderweb back to its origin. It doesn't matter how many and where they are, I will burn your very soul out of every candidate you have marked with your cursed seal. I _can, _and I **_will_** do that. Using that will take a lot of Yang chakra out of me, to the point of death, but I am already a dead man walking when I decided to save my village with my Life Transference Jutsu and the Eight Gates, all thanks to you. There's nothing else holding me back."

"I WILL NOT DIE! NOT HERE! **NOT IN KONOHA**!"

Orochimaru gave a desperate shout, and Kizashi watched on calmly as Orochimaru utilised his Eight Branches Technique to transform into a humongous eight-headed serpent within the barriers of the Four Red Yang Formation. Kizashi took his final stance as his thoughts went back to his wife, his lovely daughter, and the village.

And his sensei.

He smiled.

_"Hey sensei! What does it mean to be a ninja?"_

_"Hmm.." Jiraiya took a pause from writing his book (hopefully not the dreaded Icha-Icha or Mikoto will definitely burn him alive with her Fire Release in extremely creative ways) and stroked his chin in thought. Minato, Mikoto, and Kizashi had been arguing among themselves the whole day about what it means to be a shinobi while doing their D Rank missions. Their sensei can be big goof, a bigger idiot, and an even massive pervert but beneath that lies a wise man. They all know it._

_They know he can answer their question._

_"I personally believe in the saying… that a shinobi's true worth is measured by not how he lives but in how he dies. It's what they do right before they die that proves their worth. At least, that is what I feel."_

_"Then I will be Hokage!" Kizashi exclaimed and raised his hand up into the air. "I will protect the entire village, even if it cost me my life! If I can be strong enough to do that, then I am a worthy shinobi, right?"_

_"Hey! Being Hokage is **my** dream! Go do something else!"_

_"Too bad, Minato! Suck it up! From now on, we are rivals! **I'm** going to be Hokage!"_

_"Boys will be boys."_

_"Oh dear, did I just create a new rival for Minato?" Jiraiya mused and chuckled at the sight. "Although I think this is a good development, albeit a surprising one."_

_"Sensei! Who do you think will make a better Hokage?!"_

_"Why don't you two actually **start** working on it first?" Mikoto shot back._

_"Koto-chan's right. You three should actually start catching the devil cat before it runs away. **Then** you can start dreaming of becoming Hokage. At this rate, the cat will be Hokage before the two of you did." Jiraiya pointed at the escaping cat that belongs to the wife of the Fire Daimiyo, which the three genin had failed to restrain earlier when they were bickering among themselves._

_"AHHH! Sensei! Why didn't you inform us earlier?!"_

Orochimaru lunged.

_'Sensei, are you seeing this? Am I worthy to be called a true shinobi? What would you say if you can see me now?'_

Kizashi gathered all his remaining power into his right fist, ready to unleash the true power of the eight gates. This is his final and greatest attack.

In the next second, he too, unleashed his attack.

"FEEL THE FULL FORCE OF MY WILL OF FIRE!" Kizashi roared back at Orochimaru, determined to take Orochimaru down Haruno style. The space itself distorts as Kizashi dashed forward towards Orochimaru, and Kizashi watched with unconcealed glee as the distorted space is making it impossible for Orochimaru to defend or escape.

Like he promised to himself, he will strike the Snake Sannin down today.

**"CHA!"**

The immense power of his final punch impacted against Orochimaru, who is steadily being reduced to nothing from the sheer power of the punch and the potency of Kizashi's Yang chakra. With his fist firmly planted on Orochimaru's body, Kizashi called out the name of his technique to kill Orochimaru for good.

**"Haruno Clan Forbidden Technique! Yang Release: Burning Rays of the Dying Sun!"**

With a blast of pure Yang chakra, Kizashi burnt through every aspect of Orochimaru, both Yin and Yang. He felt more than saw his Yang chakra transcending through time and space as it followed the faint threads of Orochimaru's Yin chakra and found the countless fragmented souls that the snake had implanted into his victims throughout the Elemental Nations. He felt as his chakra burnt Orochimaru's fragmented consciousness into nothing while leaving the unfortunate hosts unharmed. He felt Orochimaru's presence and very soul got obliterated and taken out from this world.

The Four Red Yang Formation bulged and the resulting explosion of the collision of powers was released into the air in a mixture of bright red and yellow. Kizashi knew that Orochimaru is no more, in body and spirit. The only proof of his existence in Konoha is the now dented and disfigured Sword of Kusanagi which was left behind.

Kizashi felt himself slowly falling down onto his back as his body began to slowly crumble from the use of the Eight Gates. He felt his clones disappear, and the barriers of the Four Red Yang Formation dissipating and many Konoha shinobis rushing to where he is in the huge crater where he had his final battle with Orochimaru. He used his senses once more to sense the cinders of life of his fellow shinobis and villagers, finding them burning strong thanks to the earlier protection he had given them through his Life Transference Jutsu. This is enough assurance to him that he had succeeded in protecting his village from this crisis. Most of the invading force had been driven out as far as he can tell with his Yang chakra sense. Even Ay himself is no longer in the village seeing how Minato appeared by his side in a flash of yellow, Sage Mode active and a very worried and shocked look on his face as he held onto his dying body.

If it is Minato, then he knows that Konoha is in safe hands. Minato is reliable, it had always been that way since their genin days.

"I leave the village in your hands, Minato." Kizashi managed to croak out as his body starts to crumble into dust. "From now onwards, you are the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure."

"Kizashi!"

"D-Do you a-accept the title of… Hokage?"

"I-!"

"Do you?"

"I… _I do_." Minato choked out a sob and Kizashi knows that he can now finally rest in peace. The both of them had always been rivals, competing with each other constantly, both wanting and striving to be Hokage. Because of that, he knows Minato is more than capable of protecting the village in his stead.

A black blur appeared by his side, and Kizashi spotted the final member of his genin team, dressed in battle gear and looking at him worriedly with those red eyes of hers. Mikoto is here as well, to send him off. The two of them had always been by his side in one way or another, they are a team, even if their sensei had departed from this world a long time ago.

This is a fitting end.

"Shi…Shinobis of Konohagakure. This is my last order… as Yondaime Hokage." Kizashi gave one last attempt to fight against the aftereffects of the use of the Eight Gates, using the remnants of his Yang chakra to slow down the dusting of his body. The group of shinobis that had gathered around him kneeled, waiting for his final order. There are things that he has to do before he breathe his last.

"I appoint… Namikaze Minato as my successor. From now onwards, he is your Godaime Hokage. Hyuga Hanabi is now… the new jinchuriki of the Nibi… protect her with your lives, get the full picture of the situation from Senju Tsunade if you need it. With my authority… I also pardon Yuki Haku for his actions in regard to the Nibi situation. Most importantly … do your best to protect our next generation from the coming conflict… Pass on your Will of Fire to your children and our next generation. Protect them from what is to come until they are ready to stand on their own two feet. Am I clear?"

**"Yes, Yondaime-sama!"**

"Good…" Kizashi choked out as he finally released his hold over his Yang Release and let himself fade into an eternal slumber, succumbing to the aftereffects of the Eight Gates technique.

_'Minato, Mebuki, Sakura, everyone… I leave Konoha into your capable hands. Let our Will of Fire burn strong through the coming crisis.'_

"Kizashi! Kizashi!-"

"Medic! _Someone get a medic nin here_!"

"Where's Tsunade-sama?!"

_"Jiraiya-sensei, what are you reading about?"_

_"The first book I wrote, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. You want a copy?"_

_"What's the story about?" Mikoto asked as she peered over Jiraiya's shoulder._

_"About peace, and also about never giving up. I tried to make the plot more… entertaining, but I'm not sure if I succeeded."_

_"What do you think peace should be like, sensei? How can the world achieve peace?"_

_"I think… Actually, I'm not too sure myself. I'm still searching for answers. Naori thinks that peace can only be achieved if there is a wise ruler guiding everyone, like how the Sage of the Six Paths did. It's not a bad idea, but I don't think it is the best either. I think peace can only be achieved if we figure out what is causing all the conflicts plaguing our world, and once we resolved it, then can peace be achieved. I'm still searching for the 'how'."_

_"I think peace can be achieved if everyone understands everyone else." Minato said quietly, but his tone is one of certainty._

_"Peace can only be achieved if you have power." Kizashi spoke up. "Only with power then people will start to listen to you, like what our Shodai did when he first founded Konoha. For Konoha to bring about peace, we need to first be strong, so strong that no one will want to mess with us. There is strength through unity. Konoha needs to be united, then we can be strong. Once we are strong, then we can start talking terms with the other villages. It all starts with unity."_

_"I can see where you are coming from, but your method is too authoritarian, Kizashi. Peace cannot be achieved if there is fear."_

_"How else do you want people to understand each other? You think people will just put down their weapons and **talk**? Don't be naïve! There are **generations** of grudges to be resolved, Minato!"_

_"How about you, Mikoto?" Jiraiya asked the only female in their group._

_"I… I don't know that much about world politics and honestly, I have no interest." Mikoto admitted. "All I want is for my loved ones to be able to live happily, to be carefree and to live without fear. To me, that is peace."_

_"Awww, Koto-chan! Thinking about good ol' Fugu-face?"_

_"S-Sensei!"_

_"Daylight's running out, sensei, we need to hurry if we want to reach Konoha before sundown."_

_"Yosh! Time for a race! Last one to get back treats everyone to Ichiraku! See you back home!"_

_"Wai-"_

_"Cheater! You are a **Sannin**! You should be the one giving **us** a headstart!"_

_"SENSEI!"_

_"Come on! We need to keep moving! We need to reach back home before Sensei does! He will clean our wallets dry otherwise!"_

He remembered that Jiraiya sensei cheated unashamedly in that race and cleaned their wallets dry. How can someone that is not Kushina eat so much ramen?

**"KIZASHI!"**

**"DAD!"**

Is that his wife and daughter that he hears? Don't be sad. He doesn't want to see the two most important women of his life crying. He had passed his Will of Fire to them, and that is how he will live on, in their hearts. There's no need to cry for him.

_ "W-Wait. I didn't hear wrongly? Y-You said yes?"_

_"Well, I can always take it back. Do you want me to marry you or not?"_

_"Y-YES! I DID IT! I DID IT! YOU HEAR THAT, EVERYONE? **MEBUKI SAID YES!**"_

_"S-Shut up! Stop this! **Everyone's** watching!"_

_"**SHE SAID YES!**"_

He remembered the day she said 'yes'.

_"Kizashi, look, our baby girl. What are we naming her?"_

_"I dunno, but how about Sakura? Like the ones outside the window."_

_"Cherry Blossom?"_

_"She's our little cherry blossom, ain't she? She got my hair and your eyes."_

_"Haruno Sakura… I like it. Let's go with that."_

He remembered the day, March 28, when their little baby girl arrived into this world. The sakura trees were blooming that day, the most beautiful he had ever seen. He can never forget that day.

_"Dad! The couch's mine!"_

_"Ah, ah, little lady, you cannot hog couch-kun forever! Let your Daddy dearest use it once in a while!"_

_"You signed away your rights to use the couch when you lost to me in rock-paper-scissors three days ago!"_

_"And I just override that with my authority as Hokage! So there, hah!"_

_"That's playing dirty and you know it!"_

_"Being a Hokage is a tough job! I need the legendary power of couch-kun to recharge myself!"_

_"The both of you can **forget** about using the couch unless you start helping me clean up the mess you two created in the kitchen!"_

_"**Y-Yes Ma'am!**"_

He will miss the happy times he spent with his family. He will no longer have the chance to annoy his wife and daughter, to be able to spend time with them. This is his only regret.

_"Haruno Kizashi, do you accept the title of Hokage?" _

_"I do, Sandaime-sama."_

_"From today onwards, you are the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha."_

He can still remember when he first accepted the title of Hokage from his predecessor, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He can still remember when Hiruzen passed the hat into his hands.

_"Congratulations, Kizashi."_

_"Minato, I…"_

_"Don't worry too much, you will be a good Hokage, I know it. We both competed for the position of Hokage. I lost fair and square, but I don't regret having you as my rival. You deserve the position of Hokage."_

_"Minato, you… will you help me?"_

_"Kizashi?"_

_"I can't do everything alone, can I? I need good advisors that I can trust, to help me and to steer me back in case I ever went astray. Will you help me?"_

He remembered the smile his best friend, Namikaze Minato, gave him.

_"Of course I will, Hokage-sama."_

He can still remember when he asked Fugaku, Dan, and Minato to help him in running Konoha, to bring their village to greater heights.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you your Yondaime Hokage: **Haruno Kizashi**!"_

**_"YONDAIME! YONDAIME! YONDAIME!"_**

He can still remember it. The day he was officially inaugurated as the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure. He can still remember the promise he gave to his people who were cheering for him when he stood tall and proud on the top of the Hokage building to address the village that he will be protecting.

_"I am Haruno Kizashi! As your Yondaime Hokage, I give you this promise: I will protect Konoha-"_

He can still remember the passion and the determination he felt right at that very moment, even when his life is about to fade away right now. He is Haruno Kizashi, SS Rank shinobi, the War God Kizashi feared by many across the Elemental Nations. He is the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure.

**_"WITH! MY! LIFE!"_**


	17. Chapter 17- I'm Sorry

"Report."

"Raikage-sama! Your-"

**"Report."**

Upon hearing that tone, Mabui immediately did as she was told.

"We had confirmation that both the Yondaime and Sandaime Hokage were killed in the invasion. The Yondaime was seen using the Eight Gates technique and some of our shinobis reported that they saw the Sandaime using a suicide jutsu to seal the reanimated First and Second Hokages. It is also confirmed that Orochimaru had been killed by the Yondaime Hokage."

"And on our end?"

"We… lost at least 30% of our forces in the invasion, Raikage-sama." Mabui gulped as she broke the news to her leader from where she is kneeling. "Our other S Rank shinobis had made it back and completed their objectives. Bee is on his way back to Kumo to resume his duties as our village's guardian. But, Yugito, she…"

Ay's attention snapped back to Mabui while allowing C to heal the stump where Konoha's Yellow Flash had cut off his left arm. The sheer expertise Minato now has in using the Wind Release is something new, something that Ay had never seen Minato use during their fights in the Third War.

He really has no idea how Minato reached this level of strength.

"What happened to Yugito?"

"She never made it back."

Ay clenched his remaining fist as he visibly held in the rage and disbelief, trying very hard to control himself from venting his anger because if he did so, C, who is right beside him and healing his wounds right now, would find himself as part of the collateral damage.

"…How?"

"Eyewitnesses reports state that Yuki Haki, Senju Yamato, Senju Tsunade were seen subjugating Yugito. There were one or two that saw what happened after that, that Yuki Haku did something that we speculated broke Yugito's seal, letting the Nibi out."

"He **_WHAT_?!**"

Ay stared in disbelief at Mabui, who is now visibly trembling at the pressure he is giving out. He quickly reined it in. These are his people, his loyal shinobis and comrades. His right and left hands. They shouldn't be the ones to be on the receiving end of his anger. That is reserved for their enemies.

"Details."

"There weren't many among the returned that saw what exactly happened, but from their reports, we believed that Yuki Haku, together with Senju Yamato, Senju Tsunade, and a clone of Haruno Kizashi managed to somehow seal the Nibi into a shinobi of their own. That shinobi is Hyuga Hanabi, one of our objectives."

Ay's gaze travelled to Darui, who is kneeling beside Mabui.

"It's my fault, boss." Darui took over as he looked up at Ay from where he is kneeling. "My Laser Circus was supposed to strike Hanabi's heart, but Haku managed to deflect my jutsu with his ice and it struck the lower part of her torso instead. Still, I am certain that her vitals were hit and that the damage she received from my Laser Circus was enough to kill her shortly. I was about to kill the boy, as well as deal the finishing blow to Hanabi to confirm her death, but Hatake Kakashi interfered. I have no idea what happened next. This is my fault, boss. If only I did my job properly before Kakashi arrived… I'm sorry, boss."

"No, you completed your mission properly." Ay took in a deep breath to calm himself down. "It's me who failed on my end. I failed to end that ice brat before Minato interfered. None of us could have imagined a genin knowing how to break a jinchuriki's seal. Yugito's death is on me as well."

Ay took a few seconds of silence to think.

"I guess it's safe to say that Hyuga Hanabi is now the new jinchuriki of the Nibi." He spoke slowly, mind analysing the current political state and power balance of the world. "Konoha is still too strong, and that will upset the balance of the Big Five. Peace in the Elemental Nations can only be maintained if the balance in power is maintained. Any one force growing overly strong will just destroy that delicate balance, and by extension destroying the peace of our village. As much as I dislike Konoha, Hashirama gave out the Tailed Beasts to every nation for a reason. We killed two Kage level shinobis of Konoha, which will no doubt reduce their strength, but we lost 30% of our forces and _one of our **Tailed Beasts**_."

Everyone around Ay did not dare to make a sound.

"Mabui."

"Yes, Raikage-sama."

"Contact the Tsuchikage and arrange a meeting with him. We incurred losses, but so did Konoha and Suna. Oto is a non-threat now that Orochimaru is already dead, and Kiri is as good as a dead fish. We need to strike while the iron is hot."

"Understood."

"No, one more thing." Ay stopped Mabui from leaving with a raise of his remaining hand.

"Update the bingo books while you are at it. Yuki Haku is now an A, no, **S** Rank threat. He has to be an S Rank threat, what with him turning our soldiers into ice cubes and finishing Yugito off by breaking her seal among other things. He was taught by the Yellow Flash himself, that in itself is too dangerous to be ignored. Only elite jonin level shinobis or higher are allowed to engage him. Kill on sight. Hyuga Hanabi is an S Rank threat because of her jinchuriki status, capture her alive. If unable, kill her to disperse the Nibi. We cannot allow Konoha to have two Tailed Beasts in their possession. Same engagement rules apply for the Hyuga girl. Spread word to the other villages about Konoha's new jinchuriki, I'm sure someone will make a move once they know of it. I don't want Konoha to have any respite if we are to weaken Konoha."

Mabui doesn't know if doing this can bring about peace to Kumo as her Raikage believed, but he is their Raikage, and she believes in him.

For the sake of the peace of their village.

"It will be done, Raikage-sama."

* * *

It came as no surprise that I was imprisoned the moment the invasion was over. That doesn't matter to me. Not after everything that happened.

It worked. My crazy plan worked. Hanabi is still alive and her wounds healed. That is what matters.

With the help of Yamato and the Hokage's Shadow Clone, we managed to seal the Nibi into Hanabi, and we watched as the Nibi's powers brought Hanabi back from the clutches of death. Kizashi's ability to heal and regenerate organs proved to be invaluable as well, keeping Hanabi alive long enough for the Nibi to be sealed. Since the seal was mostly drawn by me, I was the one who did the final sealing. Tsunade had completed my unfinished seal work while I was extracting the Nibi, but I'm absolutely sure that only me, Minato, and Kushina are the only people with the knowledge of how Minato's improved seal work, the same seal I used on Hanabi. So I can only make an educated guess that Tsunade was able to help me complete my seal because she knows how the seal's design look like. Maybe my godfather had shared it with her at some point in time, but not sharing with her how to properly activate it. Tsunade is also part Uzumaki and her grandmother is Uzumaki Mito. I'm won't be surprised if she is an expert in seals as well. Her Yin Seal is definitely her own design, and that alone spoke volumes on her skill in the sealing arts.

I have no idea what went on at the other parts of the village, but everyone felt Kizashi's chakra towards the end of the invasion. The walls of the Four Red Yang Formation were unmistakable, reaching high up into the sky. The sheer density and weight of the explosion of his chakra is all we need to know that he had dealt with Orochimaru. The joint invasion by the three villages had failed. Konoha had managed to pull herself through this crisis.

Then comes the aftermath.

Tsunade was beyond furious with me. The moment the invasion ended, she immediately had Yamato bind me with his chakra suppressing wood. The next thing I know, I am thrown in a dark cold cell in the undergrounds of the Hokage Tower, chakra suppressing cuffs around my wrists and thick metal chains binding me firmly to the wall. I could have break out, I know I can, but I decided not to. I don't see a point in breaking out. Hanabi will definitely be safe with Tsunade checking up on her. There's nothing else I can do now but to wait for the consequences to come crashing down on me. I know there will be consequences to my actions. There is no running from it. I had made my choice and I have to face the consequences. I know that what I did had placed the village in a lot of danger, and even death would be too kind a punishment for such a crime in accordance to the village's laws. I knew that the moment I decided to save Hanabi using that reckless method.

But do I regret my actions?

No. Not one bit.

To live to protect those that cares for me was my purpose in life. I did that. I'm content with this outcome, even if my life would be the price for it.

But now, I'm not sure if that purpose is worth striving for anymore. I had nearly failed. I can protect her once, but can I protect her forever?

No. No one can. Not when she is a shinobi. A shinobi's duty is to kill other shinobis for the sake of their village. One day, she will get herself killed as well, no matter how much I tried to protect her. It's inevitable. Kumo was gunning for her simply because she is a Hyuga when she was only four. I cannot stay by her side forever, no one can promise anyone that.

In that case, why bother to care? If everyone I tried to protect are volunteering to throw themselves headfirst into mortal danger to fulfil their duties as shinobis, why should I bother to care about protecting them? They are voluntarily seeking death simply by becoming a shinobi.

Why did I even start to care? To be a shinobi is to fight, to kill. There is no sense of self, everything is for the village. If the village sends my loved ones to the battlefield to die, who should I protect them against? The enemy? Or the village?

Who should I fight against? Why am I protecting them? My loved ones being shinobis is contradictory to my dream, my purpose in life. How can I protect them if the shinobi system doesn't allow me to?

If there is no purpose to my life, what am I even living for?

This world is so inherently flawed. There's no peace to be found in this world no matter how hard I think about it. The 'peace' attained in canon after the fourth war is not true peace. I don't know about canon, but the First Shinobi World War in this world broke out right after Hashirama died. He was a deterrence. His idea of peace in the Elemental Nations was deterrence, which was why he handed Tailed Beasts to other nations like free cotton candy. His method obviously failed, seeing as this world had experienced three world wars after his death.

By that logic, the peace attained in canon would definitely crumble after Naruto and Sasuke died. This is the realistic outcome. Their very presence was the exact same as Hashirama's presence. A deterrence.

It won't last. Peace that came from deterrence won't last.

In that case, why am I still here in this world? To protect Hanabi?

There's nothing much to live for in this world without Hanabi. And now, I'm starting to think that even she is not enough to anchor me here in this world.

I'm tired.

I'm tired of living in this world where a split second is needed for you to be separated from your loved ones forever. I'm sick of living in a world where killing is the norm and is how the world operates. Anything you fear, or anything you need to solve, violence is always the best option in this world. This mindset is just wrong and toxic.

No matter the world, civilisations should not be built around the basis of killing and pillaging each other to thrive. Such a world is wrong. There are so many things so inherently wrong in this world that I don't know where to even start nit-picking it.

I don't care anymore. Hanabi will be safe. She is strong enough even without the Nibi. She can protect herself. Her Fire Release Chakra Mode will make her close to S Rank in another year or two. She is strong, she is smart. All she needs is the time to grow. With the Nibi, she can easily reach S Rank shortly. She doesn't need me around to protect her anymore. She can do it herself. Konoha will also protect her out of obligation. With the invasion that just happened, they won't leave their jinchurikis unprotected. She will be safe until she is strong enough to protect herself.

She no longer needs my protection. I don't need to be worried for her anymore.

Going by that logic, there's no purpose to me being here anymore.

And I'm tired. I just want this to end. I'm just so very tired that I don't want to care about anything anymore. I'm hurting all over, physically and mentally, to be able to bring myself to care anymore.

I have no idea how long I'm stuck in this cell. I'm not bothered by the cold thanks to the fact that I can use the Ice Release. In fact, I welcome the cold. It gives me comfort, it numbs my pain. However, it's dark and there's no way to tell the time in here. I'm famished and thirsty and nobody had come here other than Yamato when he first threw me into this cell. I haven't seen him since.

In any case, I just did not expect my very first visitor to be her.

"Sakura?"

The pink-haired classmate of mine looked just as baffled as I do when she stumbled in here. Her eyes are a puffy red, an obvious sign that she had cried. For what, I have no clue. I have no idea what the outcome of the invasion was even if I knew for sure that Konoha had won. I have no idea if there is anyone else that we both know that did not make it back alive.

"Hey." She said softly as she walked up to the front of my cell. "Why are you here?"

"How long has it been since the invasion ended?" I asked her another question instead, a question that I would really appreciate if I have the answer to it.

"Not long, about eight hours? It's night-time already. Why are _you_ here?"

"Long story short? For being reckless, I guess. Why are you here?"

"I just want a quiet place to be by myself for a while. Usually, there's nobody here at all. These cells were never used as far as I could remember so they were never guarded. I came here all the time when I was young if I want to hide from Dad." She admitted, and with unbelievable monstrous strength, physically _pulled apart_ the metal bars of my cell to allow herself in.

I knew that she is physically strong, but I didn't know she's **_that_** strong.

"Do you need me to break your chains?"

"It's ok. It's better for everyone if I remain here."

Sakura didn't say another word or question further as she sat down beside me where I am chained to the wall. We may have been classmates for a long time, but we are not close. I'm not close to anyone who is not part of Team 13, the Hyuga siblings, and Naruto. Sakura have her own set of friends as well and I'm not part of that group. Even then, I know Sakura is a loyal friend. She had bravely tried to rescue me from Orochimaru back at the Forest of Death when I was caught by him, even if it meant giving up her only chance of escape. It could have been foolish bravado, but considering what I know about her so far, I doubt it.

"Is now a good time to ask what happened?" I spoke softly, voice dry thanks to the lack of water in my parched throat. I really wish I could at least get myself a drink in here. "I was thrown here the moment the invasion ended. I have no idea what went on."

Sakura remained silent for a short while before speaking up.

"We won, but Dad died. He died protecting the village."

I wasn't expecting that.

I never did like Kizashi, even if I could understand why he did _that_ to me. Still, I know he is a good man. A good man that is burdened with the responsibility of making decisions to benefit Konoha as a whole. That still didn't change my initial opinion of him, until he helped to save Hanabi.

Even Tsunade admitted that Hanabi would have died if it wasn't for him. For that, I am forever grateful to Kizashi. Now that he's gone, I no longer have a chance to thank him, but I can at least pass my thanks to Sakura.

Sakura deserves to know.

"Do you know how I came to be here? In Konoha?"

Sakura's surprise was clear, but she simply shook her head.

"I was forced to stay here by your father, to be a shinobi against my will. My bloodline is too valuable for them to let me go the moment Konoha found me. Because of that, I truly hated your father and the village at one point in time. I hated being a shinobi. I still hate the idea of shinobi. It was one reason why I was so antisocial, because my freedom was robbed away from me by your father."

Sakura's fists clenched, like she cannot bring herself to believe what I am saying. Still, she didn't interrupt.

"Even if I came to understand why your father did that to me, I never had a nice impression of him. At best, my feelings for him can be described as 'neutral'. I never understood the Will of Fire your father preached, and I never consider myself as a true shinobi of Konoha. To me, Hanabi is the only person that matters to me. If I have to choose between dooming the world and saving Hanabi, I will always choose to save Hanabi."

"Why am I not surprised." Sakura muttered darkly, even if I know that she does not like to hear what I am saying. I'm surprised that she hadn't punched me into the wall yet.

"But today, your father saved Hanabi. If it wasn't for him, Hanabi would have definitely died. She was very close to dying, to the point that I thought that I had lost her. I have no idea what technique he used to save her, but it allowed him to regenerate Hanabi's missing and damaged organs, buying just enough time for us to make it. Just for the very fact that he had saved Hanabi, I am thankful."

"Wait, Hanabi?! _Missing organ_s?! _What happened_?! How is she now?!"

"She's fine. Tsunade is with her, so I know she will definitely be fine." I quickly reassured Sakura. "I cannot thank him now since your father sacrificed himself to protect the village, so I can only let you know. The only thing I can do now is to let you know that I am thankful to him, on both Hanabi's and my behalf. The only thing I can do now is to let you know that while I still don't like your father much, I cannot deny that he's a great Hokage."

There was a brief silence before Sakura turned back to facing the door of the cell with me.

"That's just how Dad is." Sakura huffed as she wrapped her arms around her knees to bring it closer to her chest. "If you said to him what you just told me, knowing him, he will just laugh it off before purposely messing up your hair just to annoy you and then say that everything's okay. I know he had to make some unsavoury decisions as Hokage and I have no idea exactly what he did to you. I'm not sure if I want to even apologise to you on his behalf for what he did to you because I'm in no position to judge his decisions. But… thanks, I guess. It's nice to know that even someone like you who don't like him that much thinks that he is a great Hokage. He killed _Orochimaru_, you know that? That stupid Sannin that gave us such a hard time in the Forest of Death and nearly killed us all? The one that created a rift between us? Dad killed him so thoroughly that Mum said that Orochimaru cannot use his creepy jutsu to even reincarnate himself anymore, whatever that means."

Orochimaru is dead? _Thoroughly_ dead? How?

"Mum said his funeral will be held tomorrow, together with everyone else who we know so far had died in the line of duty. So many had died on both sides that people estimate that bodies will probably still be found in the debris even after a week or two later. We are prioritising recovering the bodies of our comrades first, among other important things like ensuring the village's safety and saving the injured. Us genins would most likely be called upon to help clean up the mess starting from tomorrow while all the chunins and jonins will be tasked with the more important stuffs. There really isn't any time for us to rest and grieve, all we can do right now is to keep moving forward, because nobody knows what will happen next and another World War might suddenly break out if we are not careful."

"A war." I sighed as I looked up at the ceiling in thought. "It's always one war after the another."

"Don't we know it all?"

"I wonder how many will come out of it alive."

"Come out alive? Come to think of it, this holding cell is only for truly dangerous shinobis. That's why it was never used because there weren't such people to throw them here before." Sakura questioned as she raised her head once more to look at me, her eyes still moist. "Why are you really here? What happened?"

"And you ask me this after you offered to break the person trapped in said cell out with your bare hands." I replied with a deadpan. "And then proceed to have a surprisingly civil conversation with him."

"None of your sass now, Haku. I gave you that offer because I know you and I trust you. What really happened?"

"In order to save Hanabi, I released the Nibi in Konoha."

"**WHAT?!**"

"Nobody on our side died because of that, but Tsunade was furious. I told you I was being reckless."

"How is releasing the **NIBI**-"

"Hanabi was dying, even with your father there trying to delay it. Her injuries were just that bad. I made Hanabi into a jinchuriki to save her."

Sakura stilled. Being the daughter of the Yondaime, she would know what a jinchuriki is and what it means.

"If… If I'm ever executed for my actions, can you help to take care of Hanabi for me? I don't know who else will come down to see me or if I will see anybody else after this, so I can only ask this of you. I know Hanabi's siblings and my team will take care of her, but…"

"I will talk to Mum about this. She will know what to do." Sakura shook her head, in annoyance, exasperation, or whatever. I don't know her well enough to tell. "I don't know why Tsunade-san threw you here after what you did, even if I can also kind of see why she did that. You are not bad at heart, Haku. If you were, you wouldn't have willingly tried to save me and my team from Orochimaru back at the Forest of Death. I will see if I can help out. You said Hanabi is now the jinchuriki of the Nibi? Hanabi will go full cat-mode on us if you ever got executed. I don't think any sane person will want that. Don't worry, screw the village's laws. I don't think you will be executed. Punished? Probably. Executed? Don't think so."

"What I did was akin to treason, Sakura. It's not that simple. I jeopardised the safety of the entire village to save her, and the worst part is that I don't regret it. Even now, I still don't regret it. I will choose to do the same thing over and over again if it means saving her. Nothing short of a death sentence will get me out of this cell because I never had the village's wellbeing in mind. I just violated the most sacred law in our village, and the rightful punishment is death. There's no saving me from that."

"Your godfather is the Hokage now. Dad made him the Godaime Hokage before he passed away. That's your ticket out of here."

_What? My godfather is now the Hokage? I just made his new job a lot more difficult. Shit._

_How can I force him to bring himself to give me the death sentence? That will be too cruel to him._

Sakura stood back up as she dusted herself.

"I originally came here to just cry everything out again or maybe punch a wall or two, but… thanks. For this conversation, I mean. I think what I needed was to hear what somebody else thought about my father, to reassure me that what he did to save the village wasn't in vain. That he really is a great Hokage." Sakura spoke with a small smile as the dim light in the cell lighted her face up a little. "I know we two aren't that close, even if we mended our friendship after… that incident in the forest, but I still view you as my friend. And… For what it's worth, sorry. For whatever Dad and I had inflicted on you, knowingly or not, consciously or not. And for what it's worth, thanks. For what you told me today. It was what I needed to hear."

"I don't know if there's anything I should feel sorry for to you or your father." I admitted. "But like I told you before, and I will say this again, as many times as you need to hear, I'm thankful for what your father did for Hanabi. If she died, I will go insane. She's someone who I will burn the world down for."

"You use ice."

"It's a figure of speech."

"Sometimes I think Hanabi is really lucky, to have someone like you by her side."

"I think it's the other way around. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have known what to live for. She kept me sane in this insane world with her own annoying way. After my parents died, I met her, and for a long while she was my only attachment to this world. She's important to me. That's why I will do anything for her."

_But is that enough to protect her? Can I protect her and everyone I care for?_

_I don't know._

"You both should just get married to each other already. I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets a shot of diabetes straight to the heart whenever we see the two of you flirting with each other."

"You say that now. When you fall heads over heels for a certain tall, dark, emo, and start fangirling over him I will be the one doing the teasing."

"You mean Sasuke? Not really interested." Sakura said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "And did you _just_ admit that you love Hanabi? Wow, Haku, if only I have something to record this conversation. _Priceless_, I tell you."

"_Love_?" I scoffed. "I don't think I ever understood what love is, and I'm not sure I will. I'm a broken man, Sakura. Hanabi is important to me, I know that. But love? I really don't know. I don't even know why she's so attached to me after so many years. I just know that she's important to me and I have to protect her. That's it. Full stop."

The edge of Sakura's mouth visibly twitched even in this dim light.

"No wonder Hanabi kept calling you an idiot whenever she talked about you."

I looked back at her with a frown.

"What?"

"That's the problem. **_What?_ **Use that smart head of yours and go figure it out. I know you are not stupid."

Sakura turned around to take her leave, but stopped halfway right before she exited the cell.

"Anything else I can do for you before I find my Mum, go back home, break down, and cry ourselves to sleep?"

"It's fine. Thanks, Sakura."

The first part is a lie, but the last part was the truth.

Nothing's fine.

Not when the world is like this.

_Twisted_.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Maa, sorry for being late. But there was this old lady-"

"-that needed help in crossing the road?"

"And there was also this black cat that crossed my path-"

"- and so you took a detour to avoid ten years of bad luck?"

"And you wouldn't _believe_ the traffic unless you see it for yourself. And after that I got lost on the-"

"Path of life. I get it." I cut Kakashi off before he can keep going on and on with his never-ending list of excuses. "Seriously, Kakashi-sensei, stop using Obito-sensei's real-life experiences to come up with excuses. You need to be a little more creative than this."

"You are not cute at all." Kakashi did a dramatic eyeroll as he unlocked the chains binding me with a key in hand, but still leaving the chakra supressing cuffs on me. How long have I been here?

"It's been only a day, if you want to know. Meaning to say, the invasion ended yesterday." As if reading my mind, Kakashi told me that bit of information as he led me out, hands in his pockets in that usual lazy slouch as he walked beside me. "Hanabi's still unconscious, but she's doing fine, so don't worry. Obito and Sai are fine too. Sai is busy helping to clean up the mess, the same goes for all of your cute little genin friends. Konoha needs every able-bodied shinobi we can afford right now. Obito is sent out on a mission to chase away the big bad Kumo nins, so I decided to come in his stead."

"That's all I needed to hear. Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

"Sorry, Haku. If only I was faster in stopping Darui…"

"Don't be. If it wasn't for you, both Hanabi and I would be killed by him. Thank you."

There are a lot of people to thank if I think about it. There's also Tsunade and Yamato too. They were instrumental in helping me save Hanabi.

"Now you are a little cuter. _Just a little_. How did Obito managed to tolerate such uncute behaviour from you all the time?"

"I'm the one doing the tolerating in Team 13. Ask him when he gets back, quiz him on how many senbons he had to pluck out from his body ever since Team 13 became official."

"Now you are back to not cute at all. Here, turn left, walk up the stairs. We are going to the Hokage office."

I can feel my eyebrows rising a little. I'm not afraid of what is to happen since Hanabi is alright now, but I'm curious as to how the new Hokage, my godfather, and the council will deal with me.

My godfather is now the Hokage. By the village's laws, what I did will definitely warrant me the death sentence. As the Hokage, my godfather will have to personally sentence me to death.

_Great. I just hurt him on his first day in office as Hokage. Great. I just made his life absolutely difficult no matter what I chose to do starting from now. Great._

In any case, I just want to see him one last time.

I saw Minato sitting there in the chair the moment I entered the office, with his new Hokage robes. The chair that Kizashi used to sit on. Standing around him are various notable shinobis. Fugaku, Dan, Tsunade, Shikaku, and even Hiashi is there too. All of them are in their battle gear, like they are prepared to go to war again if Kumo, Suna, and Oto somehow strikes back.

"Haku." My godfather greeted me with a smile and a nod despite how obvious it is that he is tired. It's not hard to tell that he has a lot on his mind and even more things for him to do.

"Mi-" I stopped short before I could call him like how I usually do. Right now, he is not the person who is my godfather.

Right now, he is the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure who will act accordingly to what I had done. He is here as a Hokage to punish his misbehaving subordinate who had threatened the safety of the village that he is sworn to protect.

"Hokage-sama."

He didn't correct me.

"You could have taken off the cuffs anytime you want. I know you can do it. Why didn't you?"

"What's the point?" I countered. "For every action there will be a reaction. I knew something like this will happen when I decided to do what I did to save Hanabi. Might as well make things easier for everyone. Hanabi's safe and that is what mattered to me, I don't care about anything else. You know that. But I also know that you are now the Hokage, and there are things that you have to do, people you have to answer to, and responsibilities to fulfil. Whatever punishment that will be met out, I will accept. So, what's the verdict? Death? Life imprisonment?"

"I'm not here to play the blame game with you, Haku." Minato sighed, and for the first time I saw how tired and weary he is since I stepped into the office. "None of us here are. Tsunade-san had a lot to say about you and she had already shared it with us countless times, but we decided that we need to first hear your side of the story. This is the **_Nibi_** we are talking about after all."

"She was dying." I said bluntly. "I was just minding my own business trying to help stop Yugito Nii with Tsunade and Yamato. Then all of a sudden Darui from Kumo fired an attack at her that she could not evade or defend against. And there was nothing I could do to bring her back. She was just there, _bleeding_ out on the ground, _dying_ right in front of me."

I closed my eyes and held in my breath as I tried to not let my mind wander back to that specific memory. I will go insane the longer I dwell on it.

It reminded me too much of how Mum had died. Bleeding out on the ground. Dying right in front of me.

And me being totally helpless to stop it.

I don't want to dwell on it.

I opened my eyes again.

"I had no idea what to do. Darui was still trying to kill us until Kakashi-sensei intervened. That still did not make things better for her. I still had no idea how I could save her. My powers are more suited in taking life than in saving it. Katsuyu said that even Tsunade herself might not be able to save her, the chances are that slim. Then I saw how Yugito healed herself in seconds when she was punctured with holes by Yamato's attack. I realised that the power of a Tailed Beast was what I need to save her. I need to seal the Nibi into Hanabi to save her. I have the tools and the skills. I know it's definitely possible and it's my best bet. The rest is history."

"Reckless, you mean." Tsunade gritted out. She obviously still has an intense dislike for me.

"Whatever floats your boat. Even then, thank you for helping to save Hanabi. You too, Yamato. Thank you."

I heard a faint choked sound of disbelief from somewhere up from the ceiling right above me. I knew I wasn't imagining his presence when I entered the room along with the other ANBU guards I had sensed. The water vapour in the air told me so. Water is my ally, they follow my will. Yamato is probably hiding up on the ceiling acting as my godfather's personal ANBU guards. Yamato was a part of ANBU in canon, I don't see why he won't be one in this world.

"You are a shinobi of Konohagakure first and foremost." Fugaku spoke out, which caught me by surprise there since this is an _Uchiha_ we are talking about. "Everything you do, it should be the sake for the village. You were lucky that your stunt did not result in anything disastrous and Konoha gained another jinchuriki because of it, but that does not change the fact that what you did jeopardised the village's safety. There is also the fact that you did it on purpose without any regards of the consequences it can have on Konoha. Things could have been a lot worse should things go wrong."

The irony. An _Uchiha_ lecturing me about acting for the sake of the _village_. Canon Itachi, are you seeing this? Are you weeping _tears of joy_ of this world's version of your father? If I were you, I will be.

"I think everyone here who had no part in raising me is misunderstanding something." I spoke out and proved my godfather's claim when I casually unlocked the cuffs on my wrists without any assistance, totally bypassing the seals on it. Compared to the ones my godparents taught me since young, these are elementary. The temperature dropped drastically as I released bits of my power.

"I never once considered myself as a shinobi of Konohagakure. At least, not in the truest sense. I do have people here that I have grown to care about, and for them, I don't mind protecting this village if it means protecting them."

I continue to let the temperature drop. I have nothing else left to lose even if they kill me right here on grounds of treason. Hanabi is safe, and they won't kill her unless there is a very good reason to. They don't have any reason to. She is now their jinchuriki. She will be protected.

She will be safe.

"And among these people, Hanabi is the only one that I truly care about. This village, its people, and even the world. I will sacrifice everything and everyone else if it means keeping her alive. Remember, I was not from Konoha. I was forced to stay here against my will. So don't expect any form of loyalty to the village from **me** of all people."

"Ungrateful _brat_." Tsunade said with venom, fury in her eyes. "After all we did to protect and raise you here in this village? I told you back then, and I am telling you again. **_Grow up_**_, kid_. Shinobis die all the time on the battlefield. I have an idea on what's your life like back in Kiri and trust me, you are not the only one here who lost someone close to you. We all did. Like it or not, you are one of us now, and we treated you like our own. Have we been cruel to you? Or maybe you would like to continue living in the hellhole known as Kiri? Or maybe Suna? Iwa, perhaps? Kumo? You know better than anyone that Konoha is the better villages when it comes to looking after its people. We are not perfect, we know that, but what more can you ask for? So _grow up_."

What more can I ask for? Funnily enough, that is the very same question I have.

What more can the village ask from me before I lose everything? What do I even have left?

"You lost _someone_. Have you ever lost **_everyone_** close to you?" I growled out. The last person I want to hear reprimanding me is **_her_**, considering I know what she **_can_** be in another version of this twisted shinobi world. "Have you ever felt so lost in the pit of loneliness that you have no idea which way is up or down? If this is your reality or if this is hell? Constantly thinking that this is all a dream and a simple slit to your throat is all it takes to snap you out of this never-ending nightmare? That was only a fraction of what I felt until Hanabi came along and saved me. She is my only attachment to Konoha and to this world. So until you can truly understand what I felt, the last person I want to hear reprimanding me is **_you_**, Senju Tsunade. **_You_** don't have a right to speak to me about losing people that I care about."

"You think **_I_** don't **_understand_** what you felt? I lost my grandfather, my grandmother, my parents, my **_brother_**. Other than my grandparents, I lost the rest of them due to war. You think I don't **_understand_** what you went through?"

She doesn't.

"No, you don't. Because you weren't truly alone at any point in time, you had people pulling you out of it before you spiralled down. I fell into the deep end for one long month until I met Hanabi. Even then, you weren't like me where people force you to do anything you wouldn't want to do or be. Here, I was forced to be the one thing I never wanted to be, a shinobi. Maybe you are right, that I am a kid that still have lots of growing up to do. Maybe you are right, that you actually at some point, understand what I felt. But are you absolutely sure about that? That we both felt the same thing to the same extent? We will need to compare notes to double check. Are your husband and son the only family you have left? What if I kill both of them? Shall we try it out? Will you be able to understand my pain then?"

Without warning, I teleported in front of Kato Dan using my mirrors, a kunai made of ice already in my hand. As I expected, he blocked it smoothly with his own. He is an S Rank shinobi after all, I expected nothing less. Tsunade is on me in a second and I can see the shadows moving, so that means Shikaku is on me too.

I easily disarmed Kato Dan when he tried to grapple with me and I took his kunai for my own. Right before I could get caught by anyone else, I dispersed my body into shards of ice and reformed right where I used to stand. Kakashi's lightning coated hand hovered dangerously near my throat, his eyes now those of a cold-blooded killer. Fugaku's sharingan is spinning as one of his hand is already in a tiger seal, the other holding onto a kunai and taking a defensive stance.

I smirked.

Yamato came crashing down from the ceiling, convulsing uncontrollably on the floor, gasping for air as his hands went to his throat to try and breathe. The other ANBU guards I had sensed had been knocked out in the same way I neutralised Yamato. I made sure it was non-lethal. It's difficult, but I can do it if I concentrate hard enough.

Water is my ally. They follow my every command. Water is the essence of life. I can control life itself.

And so is air. With both water and air at my command, I can easily reap lives with a simple thought.

The result of mixing water and air is ice.

"**Yamato**!"

"He's not the only one you need to worry about."

Upon my words, Dan fell as well, exhibiting the same symptoms.

"The air! The boy did something to the air!"

Fugaku's not totally correct. In actuality, I controlled the water vapour in the air. Konoha has a humid climate, and with it a lot of water vapour in the atmosphere. What would happen if someone breathes in the water vapour I controlled? I can do **_anything_** to my victims once it got to that stage. It doesn't matter even if you are an S Rank shinobi, if they do not have a way to get rid of the water vapour they breathe in, then they are as good as dead. I don't have a name for this technique yet, but this is my deadliest assassination technique that I invented. I kept its existence to myself, because I don't like to use such a technique. I don't want to kill if I can help it even if I have no qualms on being a reaper. My assassination technique leaves no clues, no evidences, and is totally silent. The only drawback is that it can only be used in an area where air is relatively still and the area of effect is small. I haven't got around to work on expanding its range. Most of the time, only a small room like the Hokage's office fits the requirement for its use.

That still doesn't change the fact that the sharingan really is an absolute cheat. I'm starting to hate how easily Fugaku's sharingan dissected the way my technique worked. No wonder canon Danzo wanted all Uchihas dead to collect their eyes for himself.

For power, violence is permitted. It sickens me.

Everyone else didn't move, worried that I might kill Tsunade's family since they are now my hostages. Everyone here had also breathed in the same air Yamato and Dan did. Technically, everyone here is my hostage. Just what I need to prove my point.

"Do you understand where I am coming from now, Senju Tsunade? Can you start to understand my pain a little here? Why I did what I did to save Hanabi?" I carried on, not paying any attention to anyone else. I'm tired. I'm tired of this shinobi life. I had tried. I tried living and every single time I tried there will be something that fucks my life upside down once more. My life is like a tragedy drama series at this point. I'm sick of getting hurt.

Also, even if Minato is the Hokage, he will be hard-pressed to simply issue me a pardon and write everything off. He is newly appointed. His power as Hokage is not yet solidified. He had been in office for only a day. He cannot just pardon me and assume people will not question his decision, authority, and legitimacy as Hokage. I don't want that to happen to him, being the Hokage had always been his dream and I don't want to ruin it for him. There's no way I'm going to walk away from the Nibi incident scot free in the first place. I have nothing else to lose as long as Hanabi is safe.

And she is safe. She definitely will be safe as Konoha's new jinchuriki. There's nothing else keeping me here anymore. Not in Konoha, and not in this world.

I'm tired. I want to take a break. I'm sick of this life, sick of this world of shinobi. Sick of a world where your loved ones disappear the moment you take your eyes off them for even a second. I don't want to live in such a world. This shinobi system is flawed, very so, and no one seems to realise this.

How can there be peace where everyone lives in a system that promotes senseless violence? They don't even realise this because it had become so ingrained that it is the norm here.

Can you imagine that? Violence as the norm? The main currency in this world that the economy is running on is violence. And **_nobody_** thinks that this is **_wrong_**? They don't realise that the shinobi system absolutely has to go if they want peace?

There's no hope for this world. There's no salvation for it. This world cannot be saved.

"YOU!" Tsunade roared out as she tried to run diagnostics on Dan, who is closer to her.

Oh, I finally have her attention. And from the looks of it, she still hasn't figured out what I did. She feels the same feeling of hopelessness as I did.

Perfect.

"Do you understand my reasoning now? What will happen if I kill them, everyone that you care about, right now? Will you feel the same hopelessness as I did? Will you fall into the deep end just as I did? Will you go insane? Will you spite the world? Burn it down just for a chance to kill me and avenge them? Will you tell everyone else to fuck off because there is no one else to bring colour back into your life? Will you numb your sorrows the only way you know how because all you see now is an endless space of white with no end in sight?"

"Haku." Kakashi spoke in a low voice, his Raikiri still crackling near my neck as his warning to me. "Don't."

"Your Raikiri doesn't scare me."

Seals I etched into my body of ice sucked the lightning-based chakra in. My entire body is now made of ice, I can etch any kind of seals onto my body anywhere with nary a thought. With this, jutsus like the Raikiri that needs to come into close contact with me are useless.

My godfather wanted to make me jonin level in a month. I wanted to make him proud, so I made sure to surpass his expectations. I made sure to go beyond the highest bar that he could possibly set for me.

I wanted him to be proud of me and what I can do.

The next instant, Kakashi fell onto a single knee. He should have known better than to step on the accumulated snow around me that was created the moment I lowered the temperature. They suck chakra dry extremely quickly. He got careless.

**"Haku."**

My godfather's killing intent did grab my attention for a second, but only for a second. It got everyone's attention as well. But I had faced the Nibi, a Tailed Beast. This is nothing as compared to the monster cat. I had even faced death before. I had died. I don't fear killing intent.

I don't fear death, not anymore. There's nothing else scarier than facing someone who don't fear death to themselves.

There's nothing else that I fear. There's nothing I fear about things that threatens my well-being. My only weakness are the people who I care about. And I know the people in this room won't touch these people, so there's nothing I fear from them.

But I don't want to put my godfather in a spot. The one who had been so kind to me. I don't want to put Hiashi in a spot, the man who had tried to raise me as his son as best as his can even if he doesn't know how to go about doing so. But he tried, and I am grateful even if I never told him about how I felt about him.

So, I released my hold on Yamato and Dan.

"It's not like I want to kill them. I just want to prove a point." I said as I stop fluctuating my powers about. I'm surprised Minato and Hiashi didn't make a single move throughout this entire time. Maybe they really have so much faith in me that I won't go around starting a killing spree.

Trust is a two-way street. But having too much trust can hurt too. Everything hurts at this point.

I sighed.

"Konoha wanted me to stay here, I did that. Konoha wanted me to be a shinobi, I did that. People told me to try and trust others again, I did that. I tried. I _tried_, okay? I really tried to care, to live. And whenever I start trying in earnest to live again either my life gets turned upside down or people close to me just start dying left and right. It just didn't work out, okay? I'm _tired_. I really cannot be bothered to care how you want to punish me. Just get it over and done with and let me be."

Not wanting to escalate things further, I picked up the chakra suppressing cuffs and put it back on my wrists once more. This should be an obvious enough signal for them that I don't want to continue this conflict. I realised that my right hand is still holding onto the kunai I disarmed from Dan and I looked at it.

I'm really sick and tired of this world.

It would be so simple to get out of here.

One simple swipe, like how the academy taught us when we were like what? Six? Seven?

Quick, clean, efficient.

So simple.

"You asked what more can I ask from the village? What more do _you guys_ want to expect from **_me_**? My bloodline? Just take a blood sample out of me and go clone my powers with some freaky science research. My skills as a shinobi? I'm far from being the deadliest one in Konoha. You don't need me. My freedom? I was already robbed of it when I came here together with my free will. What else do I have that you want to take away from me? The people I care about? Just what else is the village expecting from me? Just give me a list of what Konoha wants from me so I can pack it in a gift box wrapped in a nice ribbon and give everything at once. If Konoha wants to take more from me, I rather give everything at once instead of one at a time. It's less painful this way."

"Haku-"

"You said peace is attainable if everybody can understand everybody else." I cut my godfather off as I looked at him. I know he is worried for me, but I'm tired. I don't want to make things more difficult for him by putting him in a difficult spot, especially not so in a trying time like this. He is now the Hokage. He needs to show the people that he can lead them as their Hokage. This is a difficult situation for him to be in. He had always been too kind for his own good.

He had been one of the nicest people to me ever since I found myself here, and I don't want to be a burden to him. I don't want to put him in a spot. I had willingly threatened the very safety of the village. I don't want him to be the one to personally issue my death sentence, which is the rightful punishment for what I did in regard to the Nibi situation in accordance to Konoha's laws. If he plead a lighter sentence for me, people will start doubting him because I got away scot free simply by being his godson. I don't want that. I want him to be Hokage. It is his dream.

For his dream, for his village, Konoha has to be united now. He needs to solidify his authority as Hokage and I absolutely cannot ruin this for him.

I don't want to force him to do something so cruel onto himself because of me.

But I also want to give him a big reality check. He cannot afford to be naïve if he is the Hokage. That will get him killed.

"You said understanding is the key to peace, but even in this small room of a handful of people, we are still unable to understand each other."

The feeling of holding onto a kunai never felt heavier before, but at the same time it never felt so comfortable.

"And that's why, your version of peace will never come true. It's just not possible. Not in a world where everyone is forced to kill everyone else, so that the economy our society is dependent on can continue to keep going. Not in a system where senseless violence is encouraged and it becomes the norm in our daily lives, allowing greed to run rampant. This world of shinobi is flawed, tou-san. The shinobi system is flawed. As long as the shinobi system exist, there will never be peace. We can never understand each other."

I look at him again, and I know from the look in his eyes that my words had hurt him.

"We shinobis are the biggest obstacles to peace. There will never be peace with shinobis around."

I hate disappointing him. I hate disappointing the two men who had been my father figures ever since I came here. Hiashi never spoke a single word, but I know enough to tell that what I did and what I said had pained his heart as well. It wasn't my intention, but I have to say what I want to say.

_I'm sorry._

"I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes and think.

If there is no peace to be found in this world, if there is no way it can even be attained, then I don't want to stay here. There's nothing to anchor me here anymore. The one person who was my anchor is now strong enough to live on without me. She no longer needs my protection.

She promised me that she will never hurt me, but she did.

She nearly died. She nearly died in almost the same way Mum did. She could have died. She was so lucky that Yugito was there so I could use the Nibi to save her. She was so lucky that I happened to have the correct skillset to help save her. She was so lucky that the correct people were there to save her. So many things could have gone wrong. Just one thing out of place and she's a goner. She was so lucky.

She could have died.

Out of so many things that had hurt me since coming to Konoha, that hurt me the most. The one person who I am trying to protect the hardest had hurt me the most.

She had said that she will never hurt me.

What hurt even more is that I know she will keep throwing herself into mortal danger, because she is a shinobi of Konohagakure and it is her duty to do so. She will not stop. Being a shinobi had always been her dream. She will just keep heading into danger the moment she is given the order to, and all it needs is for **_one_** mission to go horribly wrong and she will be dead. I can protect her once, twice, thrice, ten times, a hundred times, but I cannot protect her forever if this is how things are going to play out.

I'm not God. I'm just a weak mortal cursed with a broken bloodline.

Her near-death had made me realised that I cannot protect her. The same goes for the rest of the people that I actually care because all of them are shinobis. They are expected to live and die for the village. The moment the village orders them to go and die, they will die.

Which means I cannot protect them, because this is how the world works.

In that case, then I don't have a purpose in life anymore. My purpose in life is now gone. The people that I keep trying to prevent from getting hurt will just end up hurting me instead.

Call me a coward, but I want an escape. I never said that I was brave or courageous. I don't want to get hurt anymore. I have enough of getting hurt. I just want out. The easy way out is fine.

I'm sick of this.

I'm tired.

I want out of this world. I didn't even ask to be here in the first place.

Why am I even here? Am I entertainment to some deity up there who planted me here for the fun of it? Watching my tragic life play out and laughing at my every move like it's some sort of TV drama? The Sage himself, perhaps?

I hate this twisted world. So much that I am starting to understand why canon Madara and canon Obito wanted to destroy this forsaken world. We could even be friends. Best pals even. I'm sure we can get along just fine.

Maybe I should be reborn as an Uchiha. It will be fitting.

I reopened my eyes just as my hand holding the kunai moved. Nobody would be fast enough to react at this sudden turn of events, not even the Yellow Flash. All of them will be expecting for me to hurt someone else, they will not be expecting for me to harm myself.

The kunai would find its mark on my neck, just as it should so many years ago, right before Obito-sensei wrongfully rescued me from that Kumo nin. I don't even remember the face of that Kumo nin anymore.

From the very beginning, I should have been dead when I escorted Hanabi back to Konoha so many years ago. That was how it should be like. I wasn't meant to survive. I wasn't meant to be here.

This should be how it ended, like it should so many years ago. I had never been a participant of this world. I never once belonged here. I am an anomaly. An outsider. Someone who never belonged to anywhere. Not to Konoha, and not to this world.

Who was I fooling anyway? That there is a purpose to me being here? Living a second life?

Me. I've always been trying to fool myself all this while.

_I'm sorry._

As to who I'm apologising to, I don't know anymore.

I don't need to know anymore.


	18. Chapter 18- Tear and Rebuild

_It hurts._

_It hurts all over._

Why is it so dark in here? Where is she?

**_"So, you are my new host. Interesting."_**

Who?

**_"Here."_**

The area brightened, and right at the entrance of a rocky cave bathed in unholy blue flames, sat the demon cat, locked behind bars that prevents it from exiting the cave to eat her alive. Hanabi looked around her, and realised that she doesn't recognise this place at all. Right behind her is a tall and rocky cliff that extends all the way up into the darkness, a place where the light of the flames cannot reach. The same goes for anywhere about twenty meters away from her in a radius. Only a small area is lighted up by these eerie blue flames. There's nowhere else to go other than forward, and she sure as hell doesn't want to go even closer to the flaming cat of destruction.

"W-Why are you here?! Where am I?!"

**_"Why don't you ask the ice brat?"_**

"Haku? What's he got to do with this?!"

**_"Why don't you wake up and ask him? And you should be grateful for my help in keeping you alive. Seriously, the nerve of them to seal me into a dying host. But I have to admit that takes them some serious guts and skill to pull off. I haven't seen anyone doing something as ballsy as that before. Anyway, before we carry on. Your name, kitten. Tell me your name."_**

Hanabi's eyes narrowed. This must be a dream. _A very bad dream_. That's it.

**_"I know that look, nya. Yugito used to have the same look when she first met me, pity that she's gone now. I'm real, not a figment of your imagination. You are now my host. Don't you get it? You are now a jinchuriki, descendant of Hamura. We are talking in your mindscape."_**

"Y-You are lying!" Hanabi cannot help but shout back at the monster cat that is locked behind bars in a place that she doesn't even know where. Mindscape? What's that? **_Where_**_ is she even?_ And **_how_** is she a jinchuriki? She was-

_Supposed to be dead._

_How is she still alive_? She remembered that Kumo guy with that ugly butcher knife that held some unknown grudge against her had shot her with some sort of laser-like jutsu.

**_"Have you finally calmed down? Have you finally regained your sense of logic? I don't want to make our relationship even harder than it is. I dislike conflicts. Tell me your name, and I will tell you mine. And then you can get out of here and ask your ice brat the questions I'm sure you are dying to know the answers to."_**

She doesn't really have much to lose now, does she? She's dead, right? There's no way she could be alive after taking a fatal jutsu like that. Is this hell? It would make sense, with the blue flames and all. Maybe this cat is just a weird sort of manifestation the keeper of hell chose to take, and it happens to look like that stupid two-tailed cat.

That has to be it, right? Yeah, that sounds like the most logical explanation. There's no way she could be alive.

"Hyuga Hanabi." She said fearlessly as her mind wandered back to Haku, her siblings, her father and uncle. Will they miss her? She really hopes that they wouldn't be too sad at her passing. Especially Haku. Hopefully he didn't go and do anything stupid now that she's gone. Neji-nii and nee-san should be able to talk him out of the depression she has no doubt he is experiencing. If not, there's always Naruto, and she is the most optimistic and stubbornly loyal person she ever had the chance to know. If anyone can get Haku out of his funk, it's her. Hanabi doesn't want to see Haku here in hell, at least not in a long, long time. He needs to live till the ripe old age of 80 at the very least before she allows him to come here to join her. She will kick him back to the mortal plane if she ever spots him coming here before he reaches the age of 80.

**_"Matatabi. My name is Matatabi."_** The cat replied after a few seconds of silence. **_"Know this, Hanabi-chan. I may acknowledge you by your name, and I may give you permission to address me by my name, but that does not mean I acknowledge you as my host. If you want to use my power, prove to me that you are capable of using it. I will let you use a small fraction of my power however and whenever you want to. But if you want more, then it will depend on my mood and whims."_**

"I have no idea what you are talking about, and honestly, I don't care. Just let me out of here already." Hanabi said crossly with her arms on her hips. What's with this place anyway?

**_"Fine. But remember, if you want to use my full power, prove to me that you are a worthy host. One that I can fight alongside with as my equal and one that I can trust without question. Until then, Hanabi-chan. We will meet again."_**

And the world of fire faded.

* * *

"-nabi! Hanabi! Can you hear me? Hanabi!"

She groaned as she tried to open her eyes and clear the foggy vision. What is it now? Why is she still able to hear her twin's voice? Is this some sort of joke? The damn cat thinks it is _so funny_, huh? Is this some sort of genjutsu?

**_'I can sense your negativity to me as clear as day. I take offence to that, kitten. You are very much alive, that I assure you. It's not like you can die without my permission now that I'm sealed in you. Now wake up and accept your reality.'_**

Damn it. The stupid cat is still around in her head. Definitely genjutsu.

**_'I felt that.'_**

_Nee-san?_

Her brain halted when her vision finally cleared and spotted the face of her twin.

"Hanabi? Can you hear me?"

"Y-Ye-" She coughed, and it was then she realised her throat is dry. Too parched for it to be normal, like she hadn't drunk any water in days.

"Here."

A cup of water was held in front of her mouth. Instinctively, she sat up and opened her mouth to drink it, and quickly gulped it down her throat to quench her thirst.

"N-Nee-san? What- Where- Are _you_ dead as well?" She started to rant as she moved her limbs, her body surprisingly painless, nimble, and more rejuvenated than what she could remember. Since when did her body feel so… _vitalised_? "Because if so, I'm **_so_** kicking you back into the world of the living. I swear, if you are here in hell with me-"

Her words were cut off prematurely when Hinata caught her in a hug. Her brain halted once more for the n-th time today. Too many confusing things had happened in this short span of time for her brain to figure out just **_what_** is going on.

"Nee-san?"

Hinata's grip on her tightened, and she started to panic at this uncharacteristic behaviour of her sister.

"N-Nee-san! What's-"

"Don't." Hinata choked out as Hanabi felt her shoulders stained wet with tears. "_Don't_ do that again. You nearly **_died_**, Hanabi. If you died, I-"

Hanabi slowly wrapped her arms around Hinata and patted her comfortingly on the back.

"I-I don't know what happened, but ok. I… I won't do that again. I promise."

Whatever _that_ is. She still has no idea what is going on, but she does know that she has to calm her sister down.

"Don't do that again, _please_."

"I won't. I promise, nee-san."

They remained in that position, with their heads resting on each other's shoulders. Hanabi used this opportunity to survey her surroundings. Why is she in a hospital? Is this her version of hell? A _hospital_? Really?

Damn it, cat. At least choose a place that has some sort of entertainment as her hell.

**_'I told you, you are very much alive, dumb human. Why don't you just get it already?'_**

She stilled.

What if… everything the cat told her was _true_? That she's still _alive_, that she's now a _jinchuriki_…

But… **how**?

"Hanabi? Are you alright?" Hinata finally released her when she sensed her twin's unnatural halt in movement. "Do you feel any discomfort? I can call the-"

"Nee-san." She cut her twin off. Whatever this place is, be it hell, the world of living, or some messed up genjutsu, she needs to know just what had happened after her memories went fuzzy. Assuming that she is somehow still alive, then Haku got some serious explaining to do. If anyone is crazy and motivated enough to bring her back from the dead, it will be him.

"What. Happened."

* * *

He can still remember the day he first met the boy who he will soon grow to love like his own son. He first saw him in the hospital when he first arrived.

He can still remember the first real conversation they had in his house. It was when he first come over for the study session he and Kushina helped Naruto to organise. It was to help their daughter to bond with her friends. The conversation was about seals.

_"That's a seal that regulates the temperature of the surrounding area. Interesting, isn't it?"_

_"How does it even work? Seals are basically just ink and paper, right? How can something like that do things from regulating temperature to sealing objects in a scroll?"_

He remembered how excited he was to introduce the world of seals to the boy. He remembered the boy being equally curious and excited to learn about seals as well.

He heard her walking towards him from behind.

"Minato."

"I failed, Kushina. Some **_Hokage_** I am."

The shrill whirr of rotating wind screeched as Minato held the Rasenshuriken up in the air. The jutsu that he only managed to perfect and complete thanks to his son. The son which is not related to him by blood, but is still his son in every sense of the word.

The boy who is too kind to be a shinobi, even if he is a natural at it. The boy who had immediately recognised what it means when his godfather is now the Hokage, and thus don't want to make his life difficult for him by forcing him to make the correct decision for the sake of the village. Because his godfather is the **_Hokage_** and the village needs their **_Hokage_**. His son is just a kind boy who did not want to put his useless godfather in a difficult spot.

He should have just gone straight to the point with Haku. His son had always like to do things in a straightforward manner, he _knew_ it. He should have told his son right away that Kizashi had pardoned him. There was a reason why Kizashi purposely used his last breath to pardon Haku, because Kizashi had predicted that something like this will happen. Maybe it was out of guilt, but Kizashi wanted to help Haku and mitigate the damage as much as possible before he went into an eternal slumber. Kizashi's words still hold more power over his right now, because Kizashi had been the Hokage for more than a decade while he is only Hokage for a few days.

Kizashi's pardon was what is needed to get Haku out of this bind. It was Kizashi's final gift to him, because he knows how important Haku is to him. If even Kizashi had decided to pardon him, if Haku had known this, he would not need to needlessly worry about his useless godfather, about his godfather's new status as **_Hokage_**. Haku would not need to worry how his actions regarding the Nibi incident would have adverse impacts on his godfather, and wrongly felt that he is the source of all his difficulties because of it. He is just too smart. Everyone always underestimate just how smart and insightful his son can be. Sometimes his son is too smart for his own good, and that's why he tends to worry about the most needless of things. He thinks about everyone else he cares about but never for himself. And when he finally decides to think for himself, all he wants is the fastest and most painless way to get out of this cursed system of shinobi.

_"**Why?** You already took away my physical freedom, the freedom on how I want to live my life. Why did you take away my only freedom left? My freedom on how I want to choose to end my life? What **else** do you guys want from me? What **ELSE** do you want me to give to this village?"_

People called him the Yellow Flash, and yet he wasn't fast enough to stop his son. He had thought that he would have really lost his son. He can still remember both the shock and relief when **_that_** seal actually worked. The seal that he and Kushina had secretly applied on him when they first met him in the hospital so many years ago. It was so long ago that **_everyone_** had actually **_forgotten_** that such a seal was still on him. The seal that secretly took away his freedom. That seal was secretly applied on him on that day right after Kizashi had made him stay in Konoha. Haku had succumbed to exhaustion and went back to sleep again. Everyone else had left the room except for the adults. It was this lucky and twisted coincidence that saved him from losing his son.

_"You sure about this, Kizashi?"_

_"It's obvious that he has severe suicidal tendencies. I think it is necessary. Don't worry, this is just a short-term measure. We can always take it off when he gets better."_

He never got better, so they never took it off. Eventually, time passed. This particular memory faded from everyone's minds, so everyone had forgot that such a seal is still there, on his son.

Haku's right. What more can they take away from him? Haku didn't even have the freedom to choose how he wanted to die like Kizashi did, even if Minato is glad that his son is still alive, even if it is just in the physical sense.

Everyone knew that even with Kizashi's pardon, Haku would not realistically get away scot free. At least not totally, because he violated one of the most fundamental laws in their village that was institutionalised since its founding. Haku will still need to be punished, but at least Kizashi's pardon will let him escape the death sentence and get a much lighter one instead. Still, Minato had planned everything out. It was the perfect arrangement, to get Haku out with the least complications. An arrangement he is sure that everyone will be satisfied. Haku would get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Nobody else had said otherwise when he proposed it, not even Tsunade after much persuasion on his part because everyone can see that it will work. It is the best arrangement for everyone involved. But things need to be accounted for and explained, and everyone who don't know him well just wants to know why he did that, and they all agreed that Haku deserves a fair chance to at least explain himself, so they called him in. They just weren't expecting him to have such a huge reaction to Tsunade's and Fugaku's words.

He shouldn't have let Tsunade in on that meeting or even anywhere near his son at all. She obviously had no favourable impression of Haku. Everyone else was busy trying to keep the village together right after his best friend died. They were all so busy that no one even knew that Haku was locked away by Tsunade in a cold dark cell deep underground ever since the end of the invasion. All because she was furious with him and did not trust him enough to not "do anything funny". She never informed anyone else about this, only telling them that he is still alive. They themselves thought that Haku had went back home after the invasion ended. Everyone had just assumed, no one had checked. They were too busy to, including Hiashi, who never even had the chance to went back to the compound to personally check on his children. It was a severe case of a series of wrong assumptions and miscommunication.

It was when they finally had the time to review the Nibi situation one day later and he sent Kakashi to retrieve Haku did he learn that his son was trapped **_underground_** all along. That was one reason why everything blew up in everyone's faces in his office. That was his first mistake. He should have kept tabs on his son's whereabouts. That place is where they kept their worst criminals if they ever need it. It's not comfortable nor is it kind. God knows what happened to Haku's already fragile psyche when he was trapped in such a horrid place for so long, right after something that traumatic had happened to him no less. The person that he cared for the most had almost died right in front of him. Of course he would be traumatised. Anyone will be.

If it wasn't for his respect for the Slug Sannin and out of respect for Jiraiya-sensei, he would have Rasenshuriken'ed her all the way to Iwa by now.

His son is just a kind boy who had been hurt too many times to count and had got scared of getting hurt, because every single time he got hurt it had become too painful, too much for him to handle. He is scarred. Like the countless cuts that littered his arms he had gotten when he risked his life to save Hanabi so many years back, it cannot be erased. Haku's pain had never been erased, merely forgotten and buried. But it is there, a dull ache that constantly hurts him. He had always been hurting, he just learnt to cope with it by hiding it. He hid it too well, that nobody had noticed it.

As his godfather, how could he not have realised that?

Some father he is. Some **_Hokage_** he is.

He threw the Rasenshuriken with a vengeance, and it gave him no satisfaction at all when it obliterated a huge section of the **_Hokage's_** private training ground. It made him feel emptier than it already is.

Some **_Hokage_** he is.

_"Leaf cutting exercise?"_

_"Yeah, I perfected it. Surprised?"_

_"Now, now, my dear Haku. I am the legendary Yellow Flash. I know my stuffs. Mastering the Wind Release takes **decades** to perfect. You need to try harder if you want to-"_

**_ZIP_**

He remembered that his son split the leaf into two neat pieces. He remembered that his own eyes nearly popped out in disbelief when he first saw it.

_"**You** need to try harder if you want to live in denial, shishou. Right now, I have greater expertise than you in using the Wind Release. Admit it. The great Yellow Flash just got himself beaten by a genin a few months into his shinobi career."_

_"… You win this round."_

He can still remember the smug look Haku wore on his face for the entire day, just because he managed to one-up the legendary Yellow Flash. Even then, Minato was genuinely happy. The child which he views as his son was healing. His son had chosen to trust him, to listen to his advice that trust is a two-way street and tried once more to open his heart up to be able to trust again. He was starting to find a purpose to live for again. He found it. He wanted to try his best to protect everyone he cares about, so he worked hard on improving himself, to be as strong as possible so that he can protect his precious people and his dream. He wanted to make everyone proud of him during the Chunin Exams, especially his parents. For him, Kushina, and Hiashi.

And it really is a respectable dream. Everyone was proud of him when he defeated Gaara without suffering a single scratch on his person. His performance was spectacular.

But Haku opening his heart up to trust left him so much more susceptible to hurt. Minato didn't know how he missed the other side of what he preached, that because trust is a two-way street, once that trust is broken the pain that Haku felt had been magnified when he received it, because there were no defences to protect his already fragile heart. And the pain had hurt Haku badly, so badly that he had given up trying altogether.

He formed another Rasenshuriken in his hand, letting it continue to screech and grow.

It was because of Haku's finding, that jutsus and chakra can also be used in the mindscape instead of using the time in there to simply brainstorm for ideas, that he managed to complete the Rasenshuriken. It was because of this that he easily came out on top in his recent battle against Ay, allowing him to come back alive and unscathed. To come back victorious. It was how he managed to cut off one of Ay's left arm and drive the Raikage out of Konoha.

People sang praises of his achievements, but none of them knew that his son was the reason why he could even manage it.

"How is he?" He asked his wife, not exactly sure that he wants to hear the truth.

"Physically? Fine. Tsunade took a look at him, as best as she could anyway, considering the situation. Mentally? I'm starting to think that he cannot continue to be a shinobi anymore. Even Inoichi agrees with me. Not after how he regressed. He's not responding to anything or anyone and is constantly releasing a chill so cold that it forced us all away. Everything around him is either covered in snow or ice. No one could get near him no matter how we tried. We think that he had somehow forced himself into a semi-hibernate state with his Ice Release to escape reality. Inoichi speculates that he just wants to numb himself in the cold and sleep everything off until he dies. He's just not responding to any outside stimulus. At this rate he's going to die a slow death from either starvation or dehydration, Minato. I don't think he had even eaten or drank anything since the invasion."

So Haku is trying to find another way to die that is not suicide? Trying to bypass the rules set by **_that_** seal? To test the limits on what the seal considered as suicide?

Why must he be so smart? That seal definitely didn't consider starvation and dehydration as suicide.

"He's never suited for the life of a shinobi. I _should_ have realised it. I _should_ have stopped Kizashi when Haku first arrived here, but I went ahead with his decision. Kizashi made me his advisor so that I can stop him if he ever went overboard. I _failed_. I failed both him and Haku. Sandaime-sama was right to choose Kizashi as Hokage over me. I'm not fit to be **_Hokage_**."

"Minato." Kushina said in equal amount of concern and sternness as she held onto his arm. "You cannot afford to be doubting yourself now. Kizashi left the village in your care. Everyone looks up to you now. You _cannot_ be doubting yourself, especially now."

"**HOW CAN I NOT DOUBT MYSELF?!**"

Minato roared out as he threw another two Rasenshurikens and the earth cracked beneath his feet, responding to the power he wields over nature thanks to Sage Mode. The other end of the training field exploded once more when his Rasenshurikens imploded.

"HE TRIED TO **_COMMIT SUICIDE_**, KUSHINA! **IN FRONT** OF ME AND HIASHI! BECAUSE HE GENUINELY THOUGHT THAT HE HAD NO WAY OUT AND HE DOESN'T WANT ME TO PERSONALLY GIVE THE ORDER FOR HIS DEATH SENTENCE, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT **ME** IN A DIFFICULT SPOT! **BECAUSE I AM NOW THE _HOKAGE_!** I SHOULD HAVE BEEN STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH HIM! I KNEW HE ALWAYS LIKE THINGS TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD! **_HOW_** CAN I NOT DOUBT MYSELF WHEN I TOOK THE WRONG DECISION THAT NEARLY ENDED **_MY_ SON**?!"

He panted as he tried to catch his breath, slowly deactivating his Sage Mode lest it consumes him from his rage.

"How can I not doubt myself after that? When I cannot even prove that I can make the correct decision when it comes to my son? How am I supposed to lead an entire village then? The village that my best friend had left me to protect in his stead now that he's gone?"

"Nobody knows whether they took the correct action in the now, that is something that we can only find out later." Kushina said as she hugged her husband from behind, trying to ease the pain he feels. "He's safe. He's fine. Our son is fine."

"He's **_not_** fine."

"Mina-"

"He's **_not_** fine, Kushina, let's not kid ourselves. You didn't hear what he said before he truly gave up on life. He asked what more is the village expecting from him, when he has nothing left to give. He's tired, he's so tired of living and continuously giving more and more and trying to trust again, only to have his trust broken again and again and I don't know what to do to help him. He feels that he is at a dead end. People call me a genius, a prodigy, and yet I have no clue on what I can do to help Haku. He's only **_thirteen_**. Kizashi, Mikoto, and I helped run this village together in our own ways so that children will not need to experience anymore wars, so that they can grow up _happy_, so that each of our visions of peace can come true. The expression on Haku's face shouldn't be there. It shouldn't be on _anyone's_ faces _at all_. And definitely not one a _child_ like him should be wearing. We failed."

Kushina can only tighten her hold on him.

"Do you know what he said next? That was the _real kicker_, Kushina. He told me that my version of peace can never be attained, not when shinobis exist. He told me that the existence of shinobis is the biggest obstacle to my dream of peace. He is certain that my version of peace is not possible as long as shinobis exist. You know what's **_even better_**? He fucking **_proved_** it. To _everyone_. In that small little room known as the **_Hokage's_** office, where we S Rank shinobis were listening to his side of the story, not counting my ANBU guards who were somehow all knocked out without us realising when or how, he proved that my version of peace, the one I had dreamt about since young, that establishing understanding between people is **_impossible_**. He made Tsunade see his point. **_Tsunade_**, Kushina. The slug princess with a stubborn streak so strong that not even the combined might of Jiraiya-sensei, Orochimaru, and the Sandaime can steer her back once she had an idea implanted in her head, and he made _her_ see his point. He created a jutsu that even I didn't know about or could ever imagine its concept, a jutsu that could have assassinated all of us S Rank shinobis in the room without us knowing how or why if Fugaku didn't have the sharingan. Taking down Gaara, holding his own against Ay, repelling an army by himself using his snow, facing down Yugito, extracting and resealing a Tailed Beast, capable of assassinating more than half of our village's S Rank shinobis at once without a trace, debunked my vision of peace within minutes. Heh, I don't even know if I should be proud of him or be mad at him at this point. I don't even know what to believe in anymore, now that my dream of peace had gone up in flames. I don't even know what I am feeling right now."

The two of them stayed like that in this manner for a few more minutes before Minato spoke up again, breaking the silence.

"What do you think I should do now?"

"What you think is best." She said with certainty. "You **_can_** make the right decisions, Minato. It's obvious that Haku sincerely believes that you can be a great Hokage. He **_believes_** in you. Haku just views the world differently from you and me. He views this world very differently from everyone else. I think that right now, what he needs is space. He needs time to heal by himself. He still cares for us, in his own way. He just decided to give up because what happened to Hanabi had scare him so badly, and it had indeed hurt him too badly. He doesn't want to get hurt anymore. He's too afraid of getting hurt again so his first instinct is to prevent himself from feeling that same hurt all over again. Unfortunately, the method he chose this time was to escape instead of trying to confront it like what he usually did. That's why he had gave up and tried to end it his own way without making things difficult for you. If he knew that Kizashi had pardoned him, then things might end differently, but you still couldn't have predicted Haku's reactions. Your council wanted to know the reasons behind why Haku disobeyed all orders, and you indulged them as Hokage because it was the right and logical thing to do. There are things to be accounted for. It was the best course of action you could take for all parties involved."

"Worst course of action I could take."

"None of this now, Minato. Haku needs us now more than ever, he doesn't need your negativity when he already has enough to fill the entire village with it."

"If it wasn't for _that_ seal, we would have lost him. I would have lost us a son. I would have lost Hiashi a son. Hanabi would have woken up only to find that the boy she had loved since young had died instead of her. Hinata and Neji would have returned home only to find that their oldest brother is gone. Naruto would have lost her only brother. Team 13 would have lost a member for no reason and Obito would have lost a student. _All because of **me**_. **_Hokage_**."

"Minato, _please_."

"Remember the seal we placed on him when he was five? When he first arrived in the hospital? The stupid seal that we placed to monitor him? Haku's right. What else can we take away from him? We had taken away his freedom to even end his own life without him knowing about it. The _anti-suicide_ seal. If it wasn't for this seal, the seal we used on our **_prisoners in T&I_** so that they cannot hide their information through death, the seal that **_all of us_** had actually **_forgot_** that we had placed on him when we first met him, we would have lost him. He doesn't even have the free will on whether he can choose how he want to end his life, so he is testing the limits of the seal by trying to starve himself to death, to see if the seal considers this scenario as suicide. It's like he is trying to spite us for hurting him so much. If this isn't such a morbid scenario, I would be impressed by his ability to find and exploit loopholes in seals. We taught him too damn well."

"It was for his own good back then. He wasn't in the best state of mind when he first arrived, you know that. Everyone can see that, that he was suicidal. It was why we decided that such a seal was necessary, in case he really tried something like this. We had his best interests in mind."

"Do we really? Did we ever asked him what he wanted?"

"Go and see Haku, Minato. You are the only one right now with the ability to brave the cold and reach out to him. He needs us now, more than ever. He still thinks he is an outsider."

"I don't think he would want to see me now. If I were him, **_I_** wouldn't want to see **_me_** now. We had taken too much from him. Konoha had taken too much from him. He's right. Ironically, we shinobis who have been trying to reach for peace are the greatest obstacles in achieving our dream of peace. He's right. This world is flawed. It is wrong. It took five generations of Hokages to realise what a child could in thirteen years. **_Hokages_**. _Fire Shadows_. _Protectors_ of the village. We don't deserve this title. We are no better than a child."

Just at this moment, an ANBU flickered into the training ground.

"What is it, Bear?"

"Hokage-sama. Hyuga Hanabi had woken up, but is extremely distressed upon learning about Yuki Haku's situation. It is taking everything Hiashi-sama have to restrain her."

"Thank you, Bear. We will be there shortly. You are dismissed."

"What are you going to tell Hanabi?" Kushina asked the moment Bear excused himself.

"Everything. She deserves to know, and she may be the only one that Haku will listen to right now. He will want to know that she had woken up and she is safe." Minato slowly pried off Kushina's arms around him before turning around to face her.

"Thank you, Kushina, for everything."

"Well, _someone_ has to kick your sorry ass back into gear, right?" She said with her hands on her hips.

Minato only let out a brief chuckle as he held out a hand for her to grab on to, which she did.

A flash of yellow later, only the sight of the wrecked training ground remained.

* * *

That.

**_IDIOT!_**

_IDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOTIDIOT**IDIOTIDIOTIDIOT**_

**_ARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!_**

Oh, don't get her wrong, it's nice to be alive and not dead. Oh, don't get her wrong, she knows it absolutely sucks to be a **_jinchuriki_** and Kushina had more than explained to her what it means to be one. Oh, don't get her wrong, she knows that she being alive is nothing short of a **_miracle_** that was only possible because of Haku, and knowing that worrywart that had always been _too damn smart_ for his own good, he probably **_thought_** that she will hate him for eternity by putting her in this irreversible situation.

That **_idiot_**.

But the one thing that she is definitely **_not_** wrong, is that it is utterly **_stupid_** to try and attempt a magical escape by **_SUICIDE_**.

Oh, she is **_so_** going to have **_words_** with him.

And with a certain Slug Sannin too, but that comes later. That old hag is a _medic_. It doesn't take a medical genius to know that imprisoning a mentally unstable person in a cold dark cell all alone by himself after experiencing a serious case of mental trauma is a recipe for disaster. Even someone as dense as Kiba knows that. Oh, she **_will_** have **_fun_** tearing the Slug Sannin a new one. The best medic nin in the Elemental Nations? Yeah, **_right_**.

But dealing with the old hag comes very much later. Right now, Haku needs her.

And so, kicking off the sheets of her hospital bed, plugging out all the IVs stabbed into her body, slipping on a random pair of mismatch slippers she sees lying on the floor, **_no one_**, not her father, her uncle, her twin, her cousin, her sensei, or even her Hokage dared to stop her when she literally ignored everyone and everything else as she fumed in anger and stormed off still dressed in that ugly hospital gown. She is now marching over to where Kushina and her new Hokage said he is at. **_Everyone_** avoided her like the plague as she made her way there. People are giving her looks, she can tell that much since she has the _byakugan_ and it allows her to see **_everything_**. She can see the looks they are giving her when they thought she cannot see them. She can hear the whispers that they thought she could not overhear. The cat. The freak. The **_monster_**.

Is this what Haku really felt when he first came here? Like an outsider in his own home?

She was too young to understand back then, but she understands now. A little. She now understands a little of what he felt when he first came here, when he was forced to stay here all because of her.

He definitely felt like an outsider and this feeling really **_sucks_**.

She should have taken better care of him.

These people also better know how to hold their tongue, or she will show them what a _monster **really**_ is. Honestly, they can flop over and die right now and she won't care. She has a way bigger fish to fry here.

She was told that he had fled and voluntarily isolated himself in a secured cell down below underground right under the Hokage Tower, a place where nobody can hurt him and he cannot hurt them as long as they don't come and find him. He probably didn't want to hurt anybody else with his power. From what she knew from her dear Hokage, the entire underground of the Hokage Tower is now a frozen wasteland. Knowing that stupid idiot she loves so much, Haku probably lost control of his powers the moment he lost control of his emotions. It happened once against Orochimaru when he lost his temper when she was threatened. She is sure that Haku doesn't even realised it himself, that his powers grow stronger with the outburst of his emotions. He probably found comfort in the cold and that's what he did, unconsciously making everything around him cold to numb his pain, with the added benefit of forcing everyone to give him his much-needed personal space since no one can fight against his cold. Even Obito-sensei who had just returned from outside the village didn't managed to even go near Haku, and he is one of the best Fire jutsu specialists in Konoha. No one can get near Haku, other than the now guilt-ridden Hokage with his fancy seals but who is also now too afraid of getting close to Haku for fear of hurting him further.

So, that leaves only **_her_**. **_She_** is the only one **_left_** that can knock some much-needed sense into that stupid idiot and make him eat something before he really starves himself to death. The cold won't hurt her. **_She_** is _more_ than just **_fire_**. Haku had made sure of that. He made her strong enough to be his equal and more, giving her the power to stop him if he ever went down the wrong path.

And this is what she is going to do. She is going to get her Haku back.

There's only one type of fire she knows of that even his ice will have problems dealing with. She had saw it before and it is now hers to wield.

_'Matatabi? You there?'_

**_'You really know how to pick a time to call for me, Hanabi-chan. I was taking a nap. What is it?'_**

_'Lend me some fire, please.'_

**_'Seriously? That's what you wake me up for? If a small fire is all you need then I had already told you, something that menial is yours to freely use. I'm not as stingy as some of my siblings. I'm totally fine with sharing a small portion of my power with you if it means keeping my host- Wait, is your life in danger? So soon? We only just met, nya. I was just starting to get really comfortable here too.'_**

_'My life will soon be in danger if I don't have your help. I have a suicidal idiot to knock sense into.'_

**_'Ice brat? I have to say, your ice brat knows his stuff. This cave is pretty comfortable, a lot better than Yugito's. Say hi to him for me, nya.'_**

She doesn't even know how she managed telepathic communication with her new kitty friend with a love for ending its sentences with 'nyas', but she's glad that she can talk to the cat easily.

She sees it now. The Hokage Tower. She entered it without delay.

With a fiery vengeance, she forcefully kicked open the door which will lead her to the underground holding cells with a loud and audible bang, scaring everyone else away, including the ANBUs she knows who were nearby. No one wants to deal with an enraged jinchuriki on her warpath, especially one that has not yet proved herself capable of restraining or controlling the beast within with her own powers and said beast might come out to play at any time without warning. But she doesn't care about their opinions or their newfound fear of her and her new kitty friend.

She slapped the seal she had demanded from her sensei on the back of her neck as she immediately activated her Fire Release Chakra Mode, the power that she had acquired because that idiot had inspired her to do so. The seal from her sensei will ensure that she won't burn everything on her off. She's not a nudist like Mitarashi Anko and she's definitely not planning to give a free show here.

The fire roared around her and kept her warm as she marched into the frozen hell, which gets progressively colder the lower she goes.

Blue flames sprouted over her form just when she thought that her own fire wasn't enough to keep her warm.

_'Thanks, Matatabi.'_

**_'No problem, nya. You are the first to ever thank me.'_**

_'Really? I thought you and Yugito were on good terms.'_

**_'She's polite, yes, but she had the ability to forcefully use my flames for her own use. She never needed to ask for it before and even if she did, she will never say thanks. She was brought up with the thinking that my kind only exists for the sole purpose of benefitting their village. In her eyes, we Tailed Beasts are nothing but tools.'_**

_'That sucks. I promise I will try to be better than her. Sorry, Matatabi, but I will have to cut our conversation right here for now.'_

**_'No problem, Hanabi-chan.'_**

There he is.

Within the furthermost cell at the lowest level of this underground facility, where everything is covered in frost and coloured in a bright innocent white, a lone frost covered figure huddled against the corner of a wall, knees tucked into his chest, arms around his knees and his head facing down, making himself as small as possible. She would not even have spotted him within all that snow if she didn't have her byakugan on. There's just so much ice and snow filled up here.

The cold retreated and the ice and snow melted from her burning flames as she walked up to him without slowing her steps. She stopped just a foot in front of him before she knelt down to face him.

"Haku. It's me."

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then his eyes started to slowly open, his hair, clothes, and eyelashes still covered in snow. His entire face and skin are a pale white, a visual effect of his powers blooming at full strength. He is covered entirely in frost.

She is bathed in unholy blue flames. She's lucky that Matatabi is one cooperative cat or she would have been a popsicle by now.

**_'I heard that, nya. I don't like to be a popsicle too, nya.'_**

Yup, definitely one friendly and cooperative cat.

He caught her gaze eventually. They stared at each other unblinkingly for a short while in silence.

"Go away, Hanabi." He rasped out before closing his eyes again, going back to his hibernation like sleep to continue to escape reality.

It's the same three words that he always used to shoo her away when she began to bug him to go get a life and do something that isn't training related. Those three words never had any bite to it. But this time, she felt it. That he really meant for her to go away and leave him alone.

And that hurt her.

"Why?"

And that's her only question to him.

Why?

"Why?" He spoke back after a while, eyes still closed. "Why should I bother to try keeping everyone I care about alive? You nearly died, Hanabi. I almost failed."

"But you didn't."

"_This_ time. But what about the next time? Then the one after next? Can I protect you forever? Can I stop you from going out on missions? Can I stop everyone I care about from going on missions because there's a high chance that they might die?"

"We are shinobis, Haku."

"I **hate** shinobis. The idea of shinobis took everything away from me. The Bloodline Purges took away my parents and my ability to trust others. Konoha took away my freedom and free will. I can't even choose how I want to die. I had thought that I at least had that freedom, only to find that my _godfather_ took that option from me long ago without me even realising it until now. What else do I have left? Nothing. Who took everything away? Shinobis. It's always shinobis that goes around spreading all the pain."

"I'm here, Haku. I told you before, I will never hurt you."

"Yet you hurt me the most."

That made her mind go blank.

"You could have died. You **_should_** have died. By all means there was no way you could be alive, but you were so damn lucky that every factor needed to keep you alive were all there. That hurt me. It hurts a lot, because all I did was to take my eyes off you for a short while and the next thing I knew you were dying in the _exact **same** manner_ my mother did. And I had no idea how to save you. I was helpless, _again_. Like the time my mother died trying to save me. There's a huge **_hole_** in you, Hanabi. I can only watch as you bleed out and yet I can only do nothing but rely on a slug that is only five inches long. You were **_lucky_**, that Minato tou-san taught me that one technique I can use to save you. Only three people in Konoha knew how to use that technique properly. Me and my godparents, and I happened to be there to save you. The fact that it was only through sheer **_pure luck_** that you survived hurt me. You hurt me, and you said that you will never hurt me. It hurts so damn much that I really don't want to care about anything anymore. You don't need me anymore anyway. You are strong enough to protect yourself since you are now a jinchuriki with the Nibi's power at your disposal. But you know what hurts me more, Hanabi?"

He opened his eyes again.

"That something like that happening again won't be the last. Because I know it _won't_ be the last. Becoming a shinobi had always been your dream. Protecting those I care about is my dream. But everyone I care about are shinobis, and the one and only thing that shinobis know how to do is to throw themselves into danger willingly the moment our village demands that they do so. It's contradictory, how the people I want to protect the most are the ones who hurt me the most, because they willingly forged on ahead into danger for a village I don't give a shit about. And I cannot always be there to protect them. No matter how strong I am, I cannot always be there to protect _you_. No matter how strong I am, I cannot always pull a miracle out of my ass like I did on you. So if something like that will happen again in the future to _everyone_ that I care about, why am I even trying? I don't even have a purpose in life anymore."

They stared at each other in silence once more. There's nothing she can think of to rebuke his words.

Because it's true.

"So, go away, Hanabi. Don't hurt me anymore. I have enough of getting hurt. I'm sick of getting hurt. I don't even know why I was born. My mind is walking on thin ice as it already is, I don't want the ice to break and crack even further. Leave me alone. Leave the last remnants of my sanity alone. I don't want to see anyone. Just leave me be. Just let me rot and die here in peace. Leave, and don't ever come back."

"Then I will be strong. I will be SS, no, SSS Rank kind of strong. I will be so strong that nobody can kill me. I won't let myself be in that situation again, so that you will not get hurt ever again."

He started to laugh. The same hollow terrifying laugh he had when he had broken down in the Forest of Death.

Even the idea of being a jinchuriki didn't scare her as much as the sound of his laughter right now.

"_Strong_? That's not the solution here, Hanabi. This world is flawed. As long as the shinobi system continues to exist, there will come a day that someone will and can kill you. It's just a matter of when. Ever heard about the old tale? Tale of the Rabbit Goddess? Ask the immortal cat within you. The Rabbit Goddess was a literal god, and even she was taken down. Even **_gods_** can be taken down, Hanabi. So don't tell me that simply by being strong you can stay alive in this fucked up world. Someone with enough motivation and skill will still be able to kill you one day, and I will still get hurt by it. It's just a matter of time."

_'Matatabi? About the Rabbit-'_

**_'I don't know how he knew about it, but that tale is true.'_**

"Go away, Hanabi."

"Do you really think that the shinobi world has to go?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

"Then let's change it. Let's change the world, so that nobody can get hurt anymore."

She knew her words had an effect on him when his determination wavered. She can see it in his eyes.

"If you really think that the shinobi system is so toxic, then let's destroy it. You already have an idea on how it can be done. You told us that in the Forest of Death, you told me and that stupid annoying Sai. You said that to bring about your version of peace is impossible because you would need a lot of power, power that you will not and cannot possibly have to stand against the combined might of all the Hidden Villages. But you don't need to do this alone. You have me. I am now a jinchuriki. I am power, and I will always be your power. Kushina told me that Naruto is one too, and she is the host to the Kyubi. The strongest Tailed Beast. She's your sister, she will definitely support you. Is this enough power to you?"

"You want me to bring about _more_ bloodshed? _More_ hurt? _More_ pain? _More_ conflict? You know better than anyone my version of peace requires me to start _another world war_. You want me to add on to the cycle of violence and revenge? To make myself susceptible to _even more_ hurt again? Only to try _again_ and to fail _again_? To let you go and get yourself hurt, which will then hurt me more? What if you go out on a mission only to never return? What will happen to me then? I really don't want to experience that same feeling of helplessness and hopelessness ever again so please, _please_ stop being cruel to me."

"_Cruel_?" Hanabi tried her best to hold in her anger as she said this. "You want to talk to **_me_** about **_CRUEL_**? Is this **_how_** you want to play this game with me? Really, Yuki Haku? **_Alright_**, since we are at it, let's **_talk_** about **_cruel_**. Brace yourself for a long lesson, Yuki Haku. If you think our dear Iruka-sensei's lessons are long then you are so very wrong. Hanabi-sensei is teaching the class today and today's lesson will be about what. Exactly. Is. **_Cruel_**."

She sat down on the floor in a loud thump and used her hands to hold onto the sides of his head, lifting it up. If she doesn't do this, he will never look at her in the eyes.

"**Don't** avoid my eyes. **LOOK** at me, Yuki Haku. I **SAID** eyes **up** here, Yuki Haku, not on the ugly floor. My eyes are way prettier to look at than the stupid floor and you know it. Yes, that's right. No no no, _not_ down there on the floor, **up** here. **UP**, Haku. **Look** at me. **_Stop_** running away like a fucking coward. That's not the Haku I know. The Haku I know is a kind and courageous man, not a coward."

Seeing that he finally has the courage to look at her in the eyes, she continued, trying to ignore the pain in her heart when she saw in his eyes just how lost and tired he is.

"What's today's lesson about again? Right, **_cruel_**. You think **_your_** actions are _not_ _cruel_ to **_me_**? I'm not sure if you even remember, but we swore to be by each other's side no matter what when we first found each other in Kiri. I swore to myself that I will never leave you because you never left me when I was at my most helpless. You never left me, not even once. Even in the hell known as Kiri, you _never_ left me, even if by doing so would make your life so much more easier. You were risking your life for me. I was a fucking liability to you with my stupid byakugan. The purges combined with my byakugan could easily get us all killed and yet you never left me. I survived because of you, because you never left me. **_We_** survived. **_We_** managed to survive every single fucking thing up until now and we got stronger together because of it. Get over your self-imposed guilt, Haku. Right now, the only thing that will kill you eventually won't be our enemies. Not Kumo, Kiri, or whatever stupid black lightning guy with that stupid ugly butcher knife that we are both going to kill and hang his head on our village's gates the next time we see him. At this rate, the only thing that will eat you from the inside is your freaking guilt. Everything negative you felt since I met you, it all started from the guilt you experienced for being helpless in not being able to save your mother. Your biggest enemy had always been yourself. Let it go. I know it's not easy, I'm not expecting a miraculous recovery, but try to let it go. The past is in the past. Stop hurting yourself. Learn how to face your problems and stop running away. I knew you did it once. I know you can do it again, because you are my Haku."

She jerked his head upwards when she spotted his eyes moving downwards again to avoid hers.

"I knew I almost died this time. But I'm still here, am I? I still managed to return to continue to be by your side. I'm here. See? I'm not dead. I was simply taking a _nicccceee_ long nap to recover so that I can finally return to your side _and then_ _when** I woke up**_ the **_FIRST_** thing I learnt was that you decided to just… die? By **_suicide_**? _Leaving me **alone**_? When you pulled that stunt did you even **_think_** about how **_I_**_ would feel_ when I woke up and the _very first thing_ I learnt was that **_you_** _committed suicide_? Have you ever thought about how **_I_** would feel when I learnt that the **_most important person_** to me left me _by committing suicide_? Have you ever thought about how **_I_** would feel if the person whose face I expected to see the **_first_** thing I opened my eyes just… _left_ me? Have you ever spared a thought for **_my_**_ feelings, **huh**_? **_You_** are the person who had been by **_my_** side for eight long years and who I expect to spend at least the next eighty years of my life with. The one who had **_saved_** me from a fate worse than death, the one who **_never hesitates_** to put himself in harm's way for me whenever he thinks I'm in danger, the one who had **_supported_** me through thick and thin, the one who had laughed, cried, joked, fought, and even bled **_together_** with me, the person who had defied the village and even death itself **_just to save_** **_me_**, the man who will do **_anything_** for me, who will even burn the **_world_** down for me to keep me safe, and this man who I love the most and who love me in return even if he is too stupid to realise that he actually really loves me decided to suddenly _just roll over and **die**_? You want to talk about **_cruel_** with me, **_huh_**? **_HUH?!_** _Really_? **_I'm_** the cruel one? Let me _tell_ you, Yuki Haku,** THIS.** Is. **_Cruel_!** **You** are being **_cruel_** to **ME**! You know just how important you are to **ME** and you actually pulled that stunt knowing this. I hurt you? I know. I'm sorry. I really, really am sorry for hurting you. But I'm hurt too, Haku. You hurt me too."

She took a breath to calm herself down before she continues, ignoring her tears and his. Today, right here, right now, they will throw every single negative thing out into the air. They both need to get everything out of their system. This is long overdue. She should have done this earlier before he went down the deep end. Haku had never been good at dealing with his emotions, so she will do it for him.

"I'm **mad** at you, Haku. **Mad** at you for always forcing yourself into a corner when there is no need to and **mad** at you for always shutting everyone out. I'm **mad** at you for always forgetting that there will always be people there for you. I had told you that many, _many_ times before so get it in that dense head of yours or I will knock it in for you, as many times as I need to. You want to die? Fine. **_Go_** and die. If you can pull me back from the dead **_I_** can jolly well do the same to you. You **_know_** me. I **_can_** and I **_will_** do that because I am your Hyuga Hanabi. Your Hyuga Hanabi who will do **_anything_** for her Yuki Haku. There are **_seven_** more Tailed Beasts for me to choose from and I will fucking collect them all in a flowerpot if I have to. If you want to die so, damn, much, every single fucking time you die I **_will_** pull you back here until you get sick of dying. Don't be _selfish_, Haku. Your life is not yours alone, just as my life is not mine alone. We established that a long time ago. My life belongs to you too, just as your life is mine. We are all interconnected to each other. I know you tried. You tried and failed and then tried and still failed and then tried and failed again. I know that you had tried your best to not give up. _I know_, I have been watching you all this while. I know how hard this is for you and there are probably no one else here that can truly understand your pain. I know it is easier said than done. This is still no excuse to give up. This is what makes us human. You stood back up more than once. Even when everything seems hopeless you always stood back up and I admire you for it. You fell this time. It's okay, everyone falls at one point or another. It's okay to trip and fall every now and then because like you said, no one is perfect. We are only mortals. You just have to stand back up once more. I know you can do it again, because you are my Haku. Because my Haku is the kind and courageous man who never gave up no matter how hard his life can be. Because my Haku always stands back up again. If not for himself, then it's for me. That's who my Haku is and I love him so very much for it. Can you do this for me, Haku?"

Haku's gaze returned to the ground.

"I don't know what to do, Hanabi. I only know that I really hate this world. I just want everything to stop hurting."

"Then let's take a step back. What do you want? What do you wish for?"

"A world where I do not need to constantly worry about someone stabbing me in the back within the next minute. A world where I do not need to constantly worry whether my loved ones will return home safely because I know they will, because there's minimal conflict so there would be close to no fighting. A world that is largely at peace. A world where everyone can be as happy as they can be without needing to be a shinobi, to be able to pursue their own dreams without fear or prejudice because they can understand each other. A world with close to no violence. A world where people will not need to hurt others or get hurt unnecessarily. I'm not asking for a perfect world. I know better than anyone else that there's no such thing as a perfect world. I know there will always be hurt and it is what allows us to grow, but I want to keep the unnecessary hurt to a minimum. I know the world I dream of will not be perfect. There's no such thing as perfect, but I know what I visualised is doable. I **_know_** better than anyone that such a world is possible because I can actually see it. I know it **_can be done_** because we have _chakra_, the living miracle capable of connecting everyone in this universe. I just don't know how to do it, or what to do. It just seems like such a faraway dream."

"You want to see such a world?"

"Since a long time ago."

"Is that kind of world your dream of peace?"

"It's the closest to true peace that I know of and can realistically see. Not perfect, conflicts are still there, I can still see some violence here and there because humans are stupid and violent creatures, but I know it will be much better than the current state of this world."

"Then I will help you. Your dream of peace will be my dream as well. You won't be alone. There's also Otou-sama, Oji-san, Nee-san, Neji nii-san, Naruto, your godparents, stupid Sai and our annoying sensei. There's also our friends, the Rookie 15. We are all there for you, we all care for you. We are all waiting for you to go back home with us, we are all waiting for our Haku to come back. You won't be alone. We all dream of peace too. We will create a world where no one will get hurt anymore. If we need to start another world war so that the world can no longer hurt us and anyone else ever again, then so be it. Nothing is free in this world, there is always a price to pay if we want peace. If we want it, we have to fight for it. If we have to hurt others one last time so that no one else can get hurt ever again, then so be it. Even if we are doomed to go to hell for this, then so be it. I will go to hell with you. I will always be there for you."

She slowly pulled his head into her chest, hugging him tightly as they both let their tears flow, trying her best to drive away the cold and share with him her warmth. She had always known that he is so broken and fragile because deep down, this kind boy who she loves so much hates hurting others and hates getting hurt even more and yet, he was forced to be a shinobi, the profession that requires him to hurt others and get hurt in return. The fact that he is an extremely capable shinobi with a kill count too high to even start tallying didn't help matters at all. He's constantly lost, and always needing someone to pull him back out. He is constantly hating the state of the world, because he feels that all the answers that he derived in the end to explain why all the bad things happened to him the way it did is because of how the world works. Because of this, he blames the world. He hates this world to the point he wants to see it gone because it really hurts too much for him to continue living in it.

And she can understand why he felt this way. It really hurts, to the point it can drive anyone crazy.

If the world is the reason why everything hurts, then they will change the world. If the world is the reason why peace cannot be achieved, then all they have to do is to create a world for themselves that makes peace attainable. He said that he will burn the world down for her. Then she will change the world for him. He can tear it down, she will rebuild it, just for him.

She will do it all just for him, her Haku. She will do all of this for him because she is his Hanabi.

Together, they can do it.

They can change this twisted and insane world.

_'Matatabi?'_

**_'Yes, Hanabi-chan?'_**

_'I need your strength. How do I prove my worth to you?'_

**_'The fastest way? Defeat me, nya.'_**

That's it? Then it's simple.

_'I will.'_


	19. Chapter 19- The Hyuga Family

"I'm sorry."

Those were the first words his son croaked out to him the moment he was awake. It was the same words that he had wanted to tell him too, but his son beat him to it before he can even open his mouth.

He saw how his son averted his gaze in guilt, shifting it to look at anywhere else but at his face. Hiashi didn't care, all he wanted was to have his son back and he is back, thanks to Hanabi.

And so, in a very uncharacteristic so-not-Hiashi manner, he enveloped everyone around him, his daughters, nephew, his twin brother, and his son into a big hug.

"Welcome back, Haku."

No one said anything when a tear or two slid down Haku's face.

Thankfully, Haku was largely fine other than suffering from a moderate case of malnutrition from his previous self-imposed starvation. Haku hadn't drank a single drop of water or even took a single bite of food ever since the invasion. It is a miracle that he is still alive. Rin and Tsunade had speculated that his Ice Release had slowed his metabolism down, and that had helped him last longer. If one were to think about it another way, it just meant that the method of death Haku had chosen was cruelly longer and slower.

**_Tsunade_**

Just that name alone made his blood boil.

No one could have got close to Haku due to how low he made the temperature around him to be. Hiashi had thought that Obito could reach Haku, but even he failed. That was a surprise, and a surprise that he really did not need, but it is what it is. Minato could have gone to get Haku, but no one knew for sure how Haku would have reacted if he saw Minato again while he was in that fragile mental state. Minato himself is too guilt ridden to bring himself to do it, afraid of what reaction he might trigger out of Haku.

Thankfully, his youngest had woken up just in time.

She _could_ have died. By all logic she **_should_** have **_died_**. Yet, she is still alive.

Only because of his son.

Hanabi was obviously furious upon learning what had went on when she was unconscious. The moment she got the full picture, she had immediately stomped off. Hiashi followed silently behind her, keeping a lookout for his daughter just as he had always tried to do for his children.

From the ground level outside the Hokage Tower, he watched with his byakugan as Hanabi marched into the freezing underground. He saw how she managed to utilise the Nibi's powers immediately. A part of him swelled with pride at what she could do, for what she did was definitely no easy feat considering that she had only just woke up with a brand-new uncontrollable power for her to control.

The other part of him was saddened at the cost which Hanabi had paid for this power.

Her life, Haku's mental wellbeing, and her subsequent life. Being a jinchuriki would mean that her life is no longer hers alone.

He had almost lost his son too.

He had never hated Kumo as much as he did right now, but more than that, he hated himself more.

He is a failure as a father.

He had no idea how to be a father. Many times, he had marvelled at how his twin managed to be a good father to his son. They were both raised by the same man, the same man who purposely drove a wedge between the two of them '_for the sake of the clan'_ by maintaining the divide between the Main and Branch House. Their mother had passed away from complications due to childbirth, so they never met her. They had never experienced what true parental love is. They had no idea how to be a father because their own father was never one to them.

Still, they tried. Hizashi obviously succeeded. He himself failed.

He failed his wife, Hikari. He had promised her on her deathbed that he will do his utmost best to raise their children.

He had failed Hanabi. He had failed to protect her from Kumo when she was kidnapped at four years old. He had managed to save Hinata in time, but a split second of distraction cost him. By the time he handed Hinata over to Hizashi to chase after the remaining Kumo nins that had infiltrated his home, Hanabi was gone.

He chased. He chased and chased and even if his byakugan could see the kidnapper he still wasn't fast enough. He could only watch as the distance between him and the kidnapper grew larger and larger until it went beyond the range of his vision.

_He failed._

He failed his youngest, his child. The bubbly girl that never failed to bring life into the otherwise quiet compound.

The knowledge of what Kumo planned to do to her incensed him, and his entire clan nearly went to wage a war with Kumo on their own, their attachment to Konoha be damned. The entire clan had rioted and demanded blood. They will break away from Konoha if they have to do so in order to rescue Hanabi because **_that_**, what **_Kumo_** did to them and to their heiress, was an **_insult_**.

Even back in the Warring States era, the Hyuga clan were feared even by the Uchihas for a reason, even if historically the Uchiha clan had always been slightly above them in terms of overall strength.

The Hyuga clan do not fear war if it means getting one of their own back.

Kizashi had stepped in, promising to do something. It was only out of his respect for Kizashi that Hiashi endured and stayed his hand. Kizashi had acted on his word and immediately confronted Ay, who shamelessly denied everything. ANBUs and jonins were instantly deployed to eradicate any Kumo nins that they can find in their country and to search for Hanabi. The rest of Konoha had gone up in arms for the Hyuga clan. Kizashi's idea of peace, of peace through unity, had showed. Petty differences were set aside for the sake of the village as a whole, for their home. Konoha had followed their Hokage's idea of peace and had stood united, ready to start the next world war if need be even if everyone knew it was not the wisest choice. No one cared, because one of their own had been hurt in a way that is the greatest insult to their village.

Konoha had been sincere about peace, that's why the village had put down its own grudges aside to welcome the Kumo ambassadors into their village even when Kumo needs the peace treaty more than Konoha did.

And _that_ was Kumo's answer to the olive branch extended to them? _Kidnapping their **clan heiress**?_

Kumo had spit on their goodwill and stomped it into the ground. In that case, Kumo should not expect any mercy from Konoha for the insult directed to them. Time had proved again that Kumo will always be a warmongering village. The recent invasion said it all.

And if the Hyuga clan had been hit, who is to say that there wouldn't be a second time? Maybe the next attempt would be from another Hidden Village who might want to try and imitate Kumo? Which clan would be hit next if that were the case? Something needs to be done if Konoha wants to prevent a similar incident from happening again. A display of strength was necessary.

Furthermore, Konoha back then do have the capability to start another war if they wanted to. They are strong. They came out with the least losses in the Third War.

If a war is what Kumo _wanted_, then it is what they will **_get_**.

To everyone's surprise, the possible war had been averted in the least expected manner.

Hanabi returned. She returned _safe_ and _sound_, with her _eyes still intact_ and her dignity not violated by those beasts clad in human skin. All she suffered was a mild case of malnutrition, a mild case of mental trauma, and slight physical exhaustion.

Hiashi couldn't believe it himself. He had really thought that he had lost his youngest for good because everything just seemed so bleak at that point in time. He had thought that he had gone crazy when a messenger literally broke into the compound, continuously yelling at the top of his lungs that his daughter had returned. Uncharacteristic shouts of joy and disbelief rang throughout the clan. The Hyuga clan had never showed such expressive displays of behaviour before as far as Hiashi could remember.

And when Hizashi smacked him on the head to snap him out of it, the two of them immediately rushed to the hospital without delay.

He needs to see her personally before he can bring himself to believe it.

An ANBU was already waiting for him at the hospital to bring him in, and when Hiashi barged into the room he was led to, he saw her, his youngest daughter. He could remember the _"OTOU-SAMA!"_ Hanabi called him by as she ran up to him, tears in her eyes, and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. He had immediately caught her and hugged her in return, even going so far as letting his own tears show. He had hugged her so tightly because he feared that it was a dream, that the moment he let go she would be gone, _again_.

He would never let her go again. Not Hanabi, not Hinata, not Hizashi, Neji, or anyone in the clan. He had failed as a father, husband, and leader. By some sort of graceful mercy, he was given a second chance. He would not fail again.

It didn't take long for him to find out _how_ she had made her way back. Hanabi won't stop talking about her saviour, the boy named Haku. The boy who is only a year older than her that came from the Land of Water.

It puzzled everyone. Why would someone from the Land of Water help a total stranger from the Land of Fire? Hanabi's byakugan is easily visible. Kiri is experiencing a bloodline purge. Given the horrid state of things there, all sense of logic dictates that a person without the strength to protect themselves would not do something so risky, to the point of risking their very life, to save a total stranger that would be nothing but a burden to them.

And this someone is merely a boy who could barely fend for himself.

Hanabi brought him to see the boy, who was still unconscious and protected in a secured ward guarded by ANBUs round the clock. Hiashi saw the scars that littered Haku's arms when Rin personally changed his bandages. The scars that Haku received when he prepared to give up his own life to save his daughter from a fate worse than death.

It takes a special kind of courage and kindness for a person to be willing to do that for a complete stranger. Hiashi had never been more grateful that in this cold world of shinobi, such kindness still exists.

His youngest survived because of Haku's kindness and bravery.

Due to the nature and severity of what would be known in the future as the 'Hyuga Affair', every high-ranking shinobi in the village that was in charge of leading the village was there. They need to get a clear picture on what had exactly happened so that they could plan for the possible future, especially when tensions between Konoha and Kumo were at an all-time high. Hanabi may be smart and mature for her age, but she was only four. It took them quite some time to get a clearer picture on what exactly happened after they lost her.

It was then they found out. Hanabi said that he can create ice without a thought. Obito had also found the boy encased in ice. The boy named Haku has a bloodline, the rare and thought to be extinct Ice Release. He is definitely a member of the long-lost Yuki clan.

And with that comes another set of problems.

They more or less had an inkling of Haku's intellect, character, and personality from what they analysed from Hanabi's words, about what she described the two children did in their time together. They learnt from Hanabi that Haku detest shinobis. They also immediately recognised that this is a boy that definitely preferred a straightforward and honest approach in doing things. If they want the boy to start trusting them on his own, the best but yet also the most brutal way would be to come clean with him right from the start no matter how bad the news is. They knew that the boy appreciate honesty above all.

Everyone also knew that they absolutely cannot allow Haku to take a step out of Konoha. Not only would Kumo be after him, everyone would be if news that a Yuki clan member had appeared. Their bloodline is just that frightening to be on the opposite end of it. The Yuki clan had once defended the Land of Water on their own. Just _one clan_ against an entire _army_, and they **_won_**.

The Yuki clan wasn't even known for their numbers. In fact, they were one of the smaller clans.

Even if the clan is now extinct, their deeds are still widely feared and remembered by many even till today. Haku had proven and reminded everyone of the power that his extinct clan once used to sow that same fear across the Elemental Nations many years ago. His recent performance in the Chunin Exams and in the invasion had made everyone fear the winter again.

From the village's standpoint, Konoha cannot let Haku go. Haku's strength and bloodline will be extremely valuable to Konoha even if he was just a young boy at that time. Time had also proved them right. Haku's strength now is enough for him to be a solid elite jonin level at the minimum, and Kumo had deemed his son to be an S Rank threat for how he massacred their shinobis.

No adults in the room back then liked that idea, to force a child to be a shinobi, but for the sake of the village and also for the boy, they have to. It is important that the boy learns how to defend himself against the people that will inevitably come after him one day, simply because he has a bloodline.

In return for his kindness in saving Hanabi and averting a war, they will try to provide him a home that he needs.

Kizashi decided to be the villain and broke the news to Haku himself when he woke up.

It was understandable that Haku was not happy at all, but he never fought back. The smart boy knew that it was a battle that he cannot win, so he didn't bother to fight against it other than to make his displeasure extremely clear. Instead, he settled on glaring at them and ignoring them completely after that. The only person who he would even exchange words with was Hanabi.

Hiashi knew that Minato and Kushina are better parents than him and they had expressed interest in adopting Haku, to help keep an eye on the hostile boy which Inoichi had labelled as a flight risk, but Hiashi still wants to be the one to raise Haku. Not only out of gratitude to the boy who had lost everything and everyone close to him, not only because Hanabi is the only one Haku would talk to when he first arrived, but also because he truly wants to help the boy find people who he could call as his family again. Now, he can truly say that he failed. Nothing had changed. The only person who Haku can ever bring himself to listen to is still Hanabi.

Hiashi had changed after the Hyuga Affair, always trying to spend more time with his children, nephew, and brother. He doesn't want to fail Hikari and his children again. Hinata and Hanabi were easy to raise. In front of him, Hanabi wore her heart on her sleeves, so it wasn't hard for him to find out about what she thinks and what she wants. Hinata is a lot shyer and meek due to her gentleness, but she is just like her mother, so Hiashi knew how to communicate with her.

He just really doesn't know how to raise Haku.

But he tried, he really did try his best in the best ways that he knew how when it came to raising Haku.

The first thing Hiashi did, right even before Haku was discharged from the hospital so many years ago, was to ask for advice. He asked everyone and anyone he knows of who is a parent, asking for advice on parenting. Especially Inoichi, seeing as psychology is his specialty. Hiashi knew right from the start that raising Haku will be an uphill task. The boy obviously suffered a serious case of mental trauma and had severe distrust in people before he arrived here.

Inoichi had advised him to give Haku the space he needs, so that he would feel safe and that his personal space is not being infringed on. He needs enough space for him to deal with his own thoughts on his own because the boy just wouldn't share more about himself and shuts everyone out who tried to help him. The moment anyone even mentioned the barest hints of seeing a psychologist, Haku flipped in the most violent of ways. Ice and snow bursting out in the compound were a common occurrence when Haku lost control of his emotions and had little control over his powers as a child.

The only way then was to simply respect Haku's personal space and hope he can recover on his own.

Haku was self-destructive and it can be seen in the way he did things. The difficulty for anyone that is not Hanabi in approaching Haku means that they have to take things slow. Hiashi knew Haku needs his space, so he gave it to him. He gave him the space he needs so that he can feel safe in this unknown and foreign place, but also subtly reminding his son that he will always be there for him. He knew Haku needs time to get used to this major change in his life, so he waited patiently, waiting for him for however long he needs.

He soon found out that Haku loves to read, so even without a single word from Haku or a shred of hesitation in his mind, he immediately got his son the largest bookshelf he can find that can fit into his bedroom, so that Haku can easily store any scrolls and books that caught his fancy. He allowed him access to their clan's libraries that Haku shouldn't even have access to, because he knew anything chakra related catches Haku's attention and their clan specialises in chakra destruction with their Gentle Fist style. He knew that his son only talked to Hanabi when he first arrived, even if the hostile yet polite boy back then can still bring himself to greet him politely when they met, so he purposely arranged Haku's room to be next to Hanabi's, ignoring the protests from the other members of the Main House that such an arrangement is unbefitting of Haku's and Hanabi's respective status. When Haku agreed to learn the shinobi arts to learn how to defend himself, Hiashi immediately trained his son the best way he could. When he learnt that Haku picked up a love for calligraphy from Minato and Kushina, he had immediately gifted him the best calligraphy set he can find to show him his support in his endeavour in learning the difficult and obscure art of sealing.

Hiashi doesn't know how to show his love and support for his son like a normal parent do, because his own father never treated him like a son. He has no examples to go by and follow. He also knows that he is not an expressive man, which isn't helping things. So, he tried. He tried in the only way he knew how to show Haku his support.

His efforts and sincerity did get to Haku eventually, so Hiashi thought that he had did things right.

What he failed to realise that showing his support through material means is not what Haku needs. The type of support that Haku had always needed is one that can fill up his empty heart, to pull him back whenever he got lost, like what Hanabi is constantly doing.

He had done something for his son, but he obviously had not done _enough_ as a father.

He remembered watching with his byakugan the entire time Hanabi was down there with his son, their chakra lighting up the dim underground as bright as the sun in the sky with how much chakra they are carelessly throwing about. Haku had gone suicidal, so he had no concerns on how such an action will hurt him. Hanabi's chakra control is obviously out of whack. He can easily tell when her chakra had released itself in huge amounts even if it was obvious Hanabi is trying her best to control and reduce its output. Having a massive chakra beast suddenly sealed within you would put anyone's chakra control out of whack.

He saw as his two children spoke, even if he cannot pick out what they are speaking about as the chakra they are releasing is too blindingly dense and bright against his vision for him to read their lips. He saw how Hanabi got agitated with how her chakra fluctuates. He saw how she screamed at him before they both calmed down. He saw how she pulled him into a hug and into her embrace as they both cried together.

Maybe it is because each of his children is so talented, that sometimes Hiashi forgets that no matter how talented they are, his children are just children trying their best to find their way in this big and chaotic world.

He remembered how the ice had gradually receded due to the unique fire natured chakra Hanabi is releasing. From how Haku's chakra output had stabilised as far as he can tell with his eyes, he deduced that he was probably brought out of his suicidal thoughts by Hanabi and regained control over his powers the moment he regained control over his emotions. He saw as Hanabi tried to help him up after they both stayed there motionlessly for a period of time. He saw how Haku tried to stand but stumbled immediately. Hanabi caught him.

He was alarmed when his byakugan spotted Hanabi suddenly carrying Haku in her arms and immediately fled upwards to ground level. Hanabi's loss in chakra control had never been more apparent as her chakra blasted everything away uncontrollably, thanks to her now abnormally large chakra reserve. Hiashi immediately reacted, running towards his son and daughter.

He met Hanabi just right when she burst through the door that led to the underground prison. She spotted him immediately, and he can remember that sensation of fear pooling in his gut when he saw Hanabi's tears, worry and panic clear in her eyes and an unconscious Haku in her arms.

"OTOU-SAMA! HAKU, HE-!"

No words needed to be said. He remembered that the only thing he could feel back then was total utter panic, that he might be too slow again.

He immediately grabbed his daughter in one hand as his other arm caught Haku, ignoring the freezing cold at the touch and the incoming frostbite he knew that he will suffer later on. Haku still hadn't fully thawed himself out yet before he lost consciousness, his body is still covered in frost.

But Hiashi couldn't care. Hanabi had finally brought Haku out, back to them, and he will be damned if anything else happens to **_his son_** again because he was too slow, **_again_**.

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

That was the only warning and courtesy he could give to those around him before he took to the rooftops in a burst of speed, using the shortest possible route he saw with his byakugan that can take them to the hospital in the shortest amount of time. Everyone had wisely scrambled out of his way. All he could remember was that there was only one thought running through his mind at that very moment, that right now, his son needs him.

He arrived at the hospital shortly, and already a medical team was already there waiting for their return. Hiashi could barely feel the arm he was using to carry Haku by then, Haku's body temperature was too freezing low and it had numbed his arm to the point that Hiashi honestly thought that he might have lost it. The medics had spotted the problem immediately, helping him to shift his almost frozen arm to lay Haku on the stretcher before wheeling his son in.

Another medic stayed behind to heal his arm back to normal. The sense of touch in his arm hadn't quite returned, but thankfully, there wouldn't be any lasting effects according to the medic. Even if there is, Hiashi wouldn't complain. He more than deserved it for failing to be a father to Haku. Even if he could not be a father that Haku wants due to his abhorrence for his birth father, he could have strived to be the father that Haku needs.

He failed. He was once again reminded of his failure.

He remembered as he and Hanabi both watched the medics disappeared beyond the doors of the surgery room, being unable to do anything else but to wait.

"Otou-sama."

He turned back to his daughter, who had called out to him in worry when she spotted his arm which had been partially frozen just moments before. He allowed her to lead him to a nearby chair to sit and rest.

"Are you fine? Haku's ice is nothing to be trifled with. Even Matatabi had to lend me some of its flames to ensure that we both don't freeze ourselves to death in there. Do you need me to call the medic over again?"

"I'm fine."

He tried his best to reassure his youngest daughter with a smile, trying his best to stay strong for her as his other working hand cupped the face of his youngest daughter dearly. Her life would only get harder from now on. The life of a jinchuriki is not a pleasant one. The thought of it pains him. His daughter doesn't deserve such a harsh life.

He failed. He had almost lost his youngest daughter a _second_ time. This time, she had almost **_died_**.

_Kumo,_ again. It is _always_, **_KUMO_**.

Hanabi was obviously surprised when he suddenly pulled her into a hug with his working arm.

"I'm sorry, Hanabi. I failed. I failed both you and Haku. I failed your mother. I-" He choked a little before continuing. "I _failed_, Hanabi. I couldn't be there to save you and I almost lost you again. I'm sorry."

"I-It's fine, Otou-sama." He can hear her shaky voice as her body trembled and her grip on him tighten. "E-Everything's fine now. Haku's back, I am alive, o-our entire family came back alive. E-Everything is f-fine. S-See? I'm still here, everything's fine. Everything's fine, everything's _fine_!"

He didn't say anything else as his daughter sobbed and tried to futilely convince the both of them that everything is now alright, allowing her to release her pent-up emotions and stress. He hid her face from view as he let her cry into his chest, glaring at anyone passing by who dared to send judgemental looks their way at where they are in the hospital. Jinchuriki or not, _Hanabi is his daughter._

She is **_not_** a monster.

"O-Otou-sama?"

"Yes?"

"I-I want to be strong. I want to be so strong that I can _never_ be killed again, so that Haku won't be hurt by me again. Can you train me?"

"Then I will make sure that you will learn everything our clan has to offer. I don't know if Haku can continue to be a shinobi given his condition, but you, your sister, and Neji. I will make sure that the three of you learn everything there is to learn in our clan. It won't be easy, Hanabi."

"I know, but I want, no, _need_ this." He can feel her fists clenching his robes as she said this. It hurts him, the way she is doing it, but nothing can compare to the hurt they all felt in their hearts.

"I can see why Haku hates this world, Otou-sama. I don't want the world to hurt him further. I promised him, that I will change the world for him. For him, for you, for everyone, I want the world to change."

He tightened his hold on her.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again. I won't let anyone hurt you, Haku, your sister, and Neji. The possibility of a war breaking out again is high, and if I have to wage war against Kumo by myself to keep all of you safe, I will do it. I promise you this as your father. I won't fail you again. There won't be a third time."

They both remained in this position in silence until Hanabi spoke up again.

"Can we go see nee-san? Where's Neji-niisan and Oji-san anyway?"

"I know that they are here somewhere. Let's go and find them, okay?"

After he slowly released his daughter and used his sleeves to gently dab her tears dry, they moved to find their family. He and Hanabi found the rest of their family waiting at a corner of the hospital, and they spent the waiting time together, waiting for the last member of their family to come home to them.

The wait wasn't long. Haku was out of surgery within an hour, fully thawed and back to normal but still unconscious. The nurses had changed Haku out of his blood-soaked clothes and into the usual one hospital patients usually wear. Hiashi's heart clenched once more at the sight of the blood on Haku's clothes. It's his daughter's blood, the blood which had stained Haku's clothes when he was desperately trying to save her.

And as their father, he wasn't there to help. He could only imagine what Haku had been through during that time, both physically and mentally.

His thoughts were brought back to the present when Hanabi's voice began to grow louder as she began to talk excitedly non-stop about something with her hands moving about animatedly, no doubt trying to stay strong for everyone's sake, to drive out all the sorrow that is within them. Hinata and Neji add their opinions every now and then. Haku merely gave a few nods or some quiet verbal indications that he is listening, but it is obvious that his thoughts are still constantly wandering and Hanabi had to bring his attention back to them every few minutes.

"Can we just… go home?" Haku's words caught them all by surprise when he said them out of the blue. "I don't want to stay in a small room any longer."

And for the umpteenth time that day, Hiashi mentally cursed the Slug Sannin with a list of expletives that he never had the chance to verbally say before. He's sure everyone else in the room read in between the lines of what Haku had said. The small room where they are at must have reminded Haku too much of the small cell which he was trapped in for so long. Hiashi wouldn't be surprised if Haku developed some sort of aversion towards confined spaces after that experience.

Great. Another mental problem to add onto Haku's already fragile state of mind.

**_Tsunade_**. He will have words with her for what she did to his son.

**_Darui_**. He will kill him at any given opportunity for what he did to his daughter.

"I will go check with Nohara-san." Hizashi said smoothly as he exited the room.

Everyone had unanimously decided that Tsunade shouldn't appear anywhere near Haku, a sentiment that even the Slug Sannin herself shared. A great healer she may be, but her abilities only applied to healing physical injuries. She obviously does not have the same expertise when it comes to treating mental wounds.

Hizashi returned with Rin alongside him moments later.

"I think what needs to be said had already been said, so I won't repeat it. Welcome back, Haku."

Rin's words seemed to have a visible effect on Haku when the doctor gave him a hug to show her support. No one had missed the guilt Haku felt for causing them to worry about him, no one missed how the look in his eyes flickered for a moment and how his fist had clenched before he relaxed it. But they all respect his privacy and didn't say anything. Right now, Haku doesn't need anyone to add on to the guilt he felt towards them for his attempted suicide.

Right now, he needs their support more than anything.

Rin immediately gave Haku a quick check. Haku's body is doing surprisingly well despite what had happened, his Ice Release works in mysterious ways that even Tsunade never fully understood. The main thing they have to take note is the type and amount of food that he is allowed to consume until he makes a full recovery. The other thing to take note was Haku's right arm, whose skin had been partially burnt from coming into direct contact with the Nibi's chakra when Haku was trying to extract the beast out of Yugito. Tsunade had healed it before she had thrown Haku into the cell, but it's best to play it safe and monitor his arm for any further complications. Tailed Beast chakra are corrosive.

Rin gave him the green light, even if they all can tell that the kind-hearted doctor would have chosen to let Haku remain in the hospital under further observation if possible, but Haku had wanted to return home and there wasn't a strict need to keep him in the hospital for any longer. There was nothing for them to pack up and Hiashi had finished signing the necessary paperwork required for Haku's discharge within minutes.

They are all ready to leave, to go back home.

"Haku! You shouldn't be using-"

Rin's concern was shared by everyone when he suddenly formed a large mirror of ice facing the opened window of the room.

"Walking's too slow. And I… I don't really want to see anyone else right now. I just want to hurry and go back home."

Haku turned away from his ice mirror to look at them. He held out a hand for them to hold onto.

"Using my mirrors is way faster. It will only take a second or two."

Hanabi placed her hand on top of Haku's without a second thought, and she followed Haku's example as she held her other hand out, which Hinata took. Everyone followed suit as they all held hands so that Haku can bring them back home with his mirror.

"I will come over for periodic house visits to check on you whenever I'm free! Make sure you follow my instructions!"

"I will, Rin-san."

With that, Haku slipped through his mirror, bringing them all with them and Rin waving them goodbye. It is the first time Hiashi experienced what it feels like to see what Haku sees from his mirrors. It is disorienting, especially with his byakugan's vision, and everything passed by him in such a rapid blur in a myriad of colours. He vaguely recognised the village as Haku brought them through a mirror he formed above Konoha in the sky as a midway point. The next thing he knew, they had exited from another mirror just right at the entrance of the Hyuga compound, far away from the hospital.

The entire process only took a second or two, like what Haku had claimed.

"That was…"

Neji's sentence went uncomplete as he swayed on his feet a little at the sense of sudden vertigo he experienced from travelling through Haku's ice mirrors. Hinata nodded mutely in agreement as she too swayed a little. Hiashi and Hizashi stood firmly with their feet planted to the ground, but even they are feeling a little green. Only Hanabi seems unaffected since this wasn't her first time using this mode of transport.

"WE, ARE, **HOME**!"

Hanabi strode through the gates happily with her arms in the air, cheerily greeting their fellow clansmen on gate guard duty today, Shu and Taiga, on her way in. She excitedly dragged Haku along with her as they all followed behind.

They didn't expect her to bring them into the kitchen.

"Alright!" Hanabi said as she rolled up her sleeves. "I'm sure _everyone_ is hungry because _I'm_ hungry too. And Haku really needs to get some proper food in. So, we are all gonna cook. _Together_."

Hiashi cannot help but let out an amused huff as he gave a subtle signal for the maids, the civilian members of their clan who usually prepare the entire clan's meals, to take a break from the kitchen and just let the children be. By the time the six of them are the only ones left in the kitchen and his attention returned back to the children, Hanabi is already there assigning work for everyone to do.

"-and Neji-niisan will make the fillings with nee-san, Haku and I will make the wrappers-"

They will be making dumplings. No one protested when Hanabi bossed them around and they immediately got to work. Hizashi joined Neji and Hinata in preparing the fillings, with Neji shredding the cabbages while Hinata and Hizashi prepare the minced meat. They added a small portion of shrimps into the mixture as well for extra taste and texture.

"Make sure that you mix them well! Or-"

"We know, Hanabi." Hinata patiently reassured her twin as the three of them dutifully go about preparing the fillings as per Hanabi's orders.

He, Haku, and Hanabi, on the other hand, were tasked to make the wrappers.

Hanabi had carefully measured the ratio of flour, water, and salt and when she was satisfied with it, she poured them all into a large bowl. Haku stopped Hanabi when she moved to get a stirrer to mix the contents to get a nice, smooth dough.

"Using a stirrer is too slow. Watch."

The contents in the bowl started to mix by themselves and Hiashi cannot help but be in equal parts amused and impressed at how Haku took control of the water within the bowl to mix the contents with a simple thought.

"If anyone from Kiri sees you using the _Water Prison Jutsu_ to _prepare dumpling dough_, I'm sure they will send the Seven Swordsmen after you for misusing their jutsu."

"I like to think that I'm being creative about it." Haku argued back, but Hanabi was obviously unimpressed.

They took a short break of ten minutes to let the resulting dough rest, and Hanabi used the time to gleefully use her flour-coated hands to cover them all in the white substance.

"H-Hanabi!"

"Nee-san! A hug! Come on!"

"I'm still mincing the-"

"Neji-niisan!"

"Stay away from me."

"Oji-san?"

"…Go bother Neji or Hinata."

They were all spared from further acts of terrorism on Hanabi's part when the ten minutes were up. They placed the dough on the flat surface of the cutting board before cutting the dough up into small equal pieces. Without further delay, Haku picked up one of the small pieces and used his hand to pound it into the board, making a small circular disc from the dough. The fluidity of his action suggested that he had a lot of practice doing it, which surprised them.

"Here."

Hiashi took the rolling pins made of ice that Haku handed to him and Hanabi. The rolling pins felt cool to the touch, but not to the point of freezing. It's comfortable, and it felt more like holding onto a cool metal can than a cube of ice.

The three of them got back to work as they began to use the rollers to flatten and make the wrappers.

Pound the dough, flatten it with the roller, rinse and repeat.

Soon, they were done, so did the other group.

The six of them began to slowly fill the wrappers with the prepared fillings. A small scoop of a spoon of the fillings which will be placed in the middle of the circular wrapper. Not too much fillings that the wrapper will break when they cook it later, but not too little that it would compromise its taste. They then fold the sides of the wrapper together, dabbing their fingers in water every now and then to help seal the prepared dumpling up around its edges, keeping the contents in and not allowing it to leak out.

"See? I fold it better than yours. Admit it, Neji-niisan, you suck at this."

"Mine is fine. And Hinata's is better than yours."

"That's because she's nee-san! Cooking is her thing! Of course she's better than me!"

At the side, Hiashi and Hizashi both looked at the monstrosity sitting in their hands before turning to look at each other. With a show of perfect teamwork that can only be found in twins, they exchange a subtle nod of their heads at the same time before discreetly hiding their finished products out of sight in an unseen corner.

"Otou-sama! Oji-san! How about yours?"

Damn it.

"Haku-nii, you are surprisingly good at this. Yours are folded quite nicely, like you had a lot of practice."

Hinata's words got them looking at Haku, and the two elder Hyuga twins let out a quiet sigh of relief for the distraction provided.

"I used to do this all the time with my parents when I was young. My Dad would mix the dough and prepare the wrappers, my Mum would prepare the fillings, I would fold the dumplings. And then Dad would teach me how to fry them properly as he held my hand." Haku replied in a soft voice absentmindedly, a look of faint nostalgia in his eyes that is still trained on the dumpling that he is folding. "We would laugh at how my Dad always tend to get flour flying everywhere. He had never been that good at mixing the dough even if he is an expert on frying dumplings. He would purposely cover me and Mum with flour and then laugh at us in return. Those moments were one of my fondest memories I had with them."

The Hyugas exchanged a brief look of silence at each other, not knowing what to really say.

Haku must have sensed the shift in mood, seeing as he immediately changed the topic of discussion.

"How do you guys want the dumplings? Fried? Boiled?"

"Fried!"

"Boiled dumplings."

"You are boring, Neji-nii. Fried! Fried ones are nicer!"

"Neji-nii's right. Boiled. It's _healthier_, Hanabi."

"Not you too, nee-san! _Fried_! Fried dumplings!"

"Why can't we just do both?"

And so, they decided to do just both.

"Watch me, people! The great Hyuga Hanabi will show you how it's-"

"Hanabi, don't."

"Why not?" Hanabi protested when Haku stopped her from '_showing everyone the right way to make fried dumplings with a Great Fireball Jutsu'_. "If you can use your water jutsus to prepare food, I can too!"

"How good, or how bad is your chakra control right now?"

"Haku's right, you should hold off using any form of jutsus for now." Hiashi stepped in. "Your chakra control will need to be relearned. You weren't able to control your chakra properly at the Hokage Tower, as I recall. Your technique nearly destroyed the underground when you panicked earlier. You will have to relearn your chakra control to adjust to your sudden increase in chakra reserves."

"Oh." Hanabi said softly as the realisation dawned on her. Hiashi knows that this is a big blow for Hanabi, who takes great pride in her impeccable chakra control. She had always been the best at this department. Now, that part of her had been stripped away, the part of her that she had always been so proud of.

"I will see if I can come up with a seal later to help you with relearning your chakra control. For now, let's just start cooking."

Haku reassured Hanabi as he went to turn on the stove with a frying pan already on it. He heated up the frying pan over medium heat as he poured in some cooking oil with obvious practiced ease.

"I think you would make a good house husband, Haku-nii. Hanabi's really lucky."

Hiashi and Hizashi both wisely held in their chuckle at Hinata's words. They can see how Haku's hand nearly slipped when he poured in the cooking oil just as Hinata made that remark.

"Well, it's obvious Hanabi wears the pants in their relationship. What we are all waiting for now is the date of the wedding."

"Neji." Haku spoke slowly and coolly, putting down the bottle of cooking oil back on the tabletop as his head turned mechanically towards Neji in slow motion.

"Remember the _sparkling pink glitters_ in sealing tags? I can get _very creative_ in what I want to seal next and tag it on you."

"Just shut up and start frying my dumplings already." Hanabi pulled on Haku's ear and pointed to the empty frying pan covered with sizzling oil. "I'm hungry."

Nobody else missed it when Neji mouthed silently to Hinata behind Haku's and Hanabi's backs. _'See? I told you Hanabi wears the pants in their relationship.' _Hinata could barely hold in her giggle.

Haku started frying some of the prepared dumplings while Hinata started on boiling the other pile of dumplings for those who preferred boiled ones. Before long, they filled numerous plates with their finished product. Neji and Hanabi went to find some vinegar to be used as dipping sauce. They had prepared quite a large number of dumplings, so Haku and Hinata went to share the extras with the other members of the clan who are in the compound and may need the food.

"Fried ones are still nicer." Hanabi proclaimed as the family of six sat around a table in the garden outside their house, eating the piping hot dumplings that they just prepared and enjoying the brief moment of peace in their lives before everything gets chaotic again.

"Boiled ones are nicer, Hanabi."

"Nee-san, have you _ever_ tasted **_fried_**_ dumplings_? Here, have a bite."

"I will just finish them all if you two continue to bicker."

"Haku! **_Don't_** you _dare_ touch my fried dumplings!"

"_I'm_ the one who cooked it. All of these are mine."

"Haku-nii." Hinata stated with her eyes wide, mouth opened in surprise the moment she took the first bite of the fried dumpling Hanabi had passed to her. It's one of those that Haku had fried. "Yours are _good_. How did you do it?"

"Practice."

"Who folded _these_ dumplings?" Neji asked quizzically when he spotted some rather deformed dumplings among the pile of boiled dumplings they are all eating. They looked more like fishballs than dumplings.

"Not me."

"Those are not mine."

"Definitely not mine too."

The four children slowly turned their heads to the only two adults sitting at the table with them.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Hiashi gave a supporting nod at Hizashi's words, words which saved their manly pride when Hizashi replied smoothly and not a hint of his inner thoughts showing on his face. Hiashi knew it. He just knows that the stoic Hyuga mask that they both perfected since young had to be good for _something_.

"What one might perceive as less than satisfactory could be a work of art in another's eyes."

The four children turned back to stare at said 'works of art' before turning their gaze back at the two adults.

"Otou-sama, Oji-san." Hanabi said seriously as she looked at them both with an expression of genuine concern on her face. "If you are not good at folding dumplings, just admit it. We know not everyone's perfect. We understand, really."

"Eat your food, Hanabi." Hiashi put a stop to Hanabi as he picked up a dumpling with a chopstick and put it into her opened mouth.

"_Mfph_!" Hanabi quickly spat the offending dumpling out. "Otou-sama! This is _boiled_ dumpling! Boiled ones are disgusting! _Fried_ ones are the **best**! Haku's ones are **_really_** good too!"

The only response his daughter got from him was a fried dumpling shoved into her opened mouth.

"OTOU-SAMA!"


	20. Chapter 20- Recovery

She really wished that time could freeze right now.

Haku is recovering, and quickly too. That's good. It's only been two days since he was discharged from the hospital, and he is already making a big progress.

Still, he has no wish to see anyone that is not part of their family right now. He hasn't even stepped out of the Hyuga compound after he got back home. That's fine. He had been given an undetermined period of medical leave considering what had happened. She on the other hand, was tasked to quickly regain her chakra control back as soon as possible since she is now a jinchuriki, and Konoha cannot afford to have a jinchuriki who couldn't even control her chakra properly. Hence, the task she was given.

Which means the both of them now have a lot of time to spend together. Their new Hokage probably arranged it this way, so that the both of them can keep an eye out for each other. Hanabi can keep an eye out for Haku, in case his mind somehow went down the deep end again. Haku can keep an eye out for her, in case someone tried something untoward against her when she is currently unable to properly defend herself thanks to her out-of-whack chakra control. The both of them had been recently listed on Kumo's bingo books as S Rank threats, there will be people coming after them sooner or later.

Honestly, she couldn't care. Let them come. They will either be beautifully frozen into popsicles or burnt vengefully into ashes. If she's feeling generous, maybe she might even let them choose whether they want to die by ice or fire.

She found it amusing that despite the fact that they are opposites in every single aspect, they complement each other so well too.

Fire and ice. Loud and quiet. Brash and calm. Jinchuriki and handler. Extrovert and introvert.

She is his nemesis just as he is hers. Her fire can melt his ice but his ice can also seal her flames. But they will never do that to each other, they are each too important to each other. They had always been together. It had always been that way.

All they ever wanted to do is to keep each other safe.

Haku is not the type to stay still. He never stayed still. He doesn't like to stay still, because whenever he does so his mind tends to wander off in the wrong direction. His mind is always thinking, he needs to be constantly doing something and that was why he was always training in their childhood years. He never stopped trying to learn something new and to move forward, to be doing something so that his mind will not linger on the bad memories.

So, she indulged him, knowing that this is not a part of him that she can change. She simply dumped a few large boxes of empty sealing scrolls in front of him, saying that if he wants to practise his calligraphy, he might as well make himself useful and create some sealing scrolls at the same time for those who might need it.

And that's what he did.

Haku's sealing scrolls are not the ones you can easily find on the market. The ones he made have a way larger storage capacity than the commonly used kind. Seeing that another war might break out anytime soon, there will be a need for stocking up more of these type of storage scrolls, storage scrolls that cannot be easily mass produced.

This led them to where they are now. Even if he can stay in confined spaces perfectly fine without going insane, she knows that he doesn't really like confined spaces that much after that incident, so she dragged him out to their family's garden. He started working on creating those unique storage scrolls, hands moving expertly and steadily as he held his brush in the perfect manner his godparents had taught him, his face the very expression of calmness.

It's obvious he isn't paying full attention to the scrolls he is working on, it is obvious that some part of his mind is wandering elsewhere, but at least this keeps him occupied and not letting his thoughts straying to anywhere too dangerous. He likes the silence and privacy, so she gave it to him.

She is content with just watching him by his side, her elbow resting on the table and her chin resting on her left palm to support her head. She is content with simply watching him silently by the side and keeping him company. She can do this all day and she wouldn't mind at all.

"Don't you have other things to do other than watching me?"

"No." She replied immediately, eyes unblinking and still in the same position as she is. She allows a small smile on her face when she spotted the slight upward twitch of the edge of his mouth.

"If you are so free, go relearn your chakra control."

"Done that the entire morning. I'm taking a break right now."

He's not getting rid of her so easily.

"You staring at me quietly for two hours straight is starting to get a little creepy."

"It's not like this is the first time. I watch you work like this all the time since we were young."

"Alright, I will bite." He said with a sigh as he finished up the scroll he was working on, rolled it up, and dumped it into the completed pile before turning to face her where she is sitting on the left side of the table they are sitting at. "What is it that you really want?"

She tilts her head a little in thought. What is it that she wants?

"Spend some time with you."

That's all she really wants.

She saw how his eyebrows rose a little in doubt, the _'Really?'_ written clearly on his face.

"Really."

That's all she really wants.

He stared at her, speechless, and she enjoys the look on his face because she had succeeded in causing him to be at a loss for words. Seems like practising his calligraphy and fuinjutsu is now not enough to keep him busy any longer. Time for a change of plans.

Oh right, there's that.

"I'm hungry. Make me something."

"I'm sure there is already something prepared in the kitchen, or you can just go cook something yourself."

"_Dumplings_. I want to eat the dumplings _you_ prepare."

Yes, those dumplings he made _are to die for_. Even when she had known him for eight years, she never knew that he can make such mouth-watering dumplings. Although, on hindsight, there wasn't really a chance for Haku to show anyone that he can actually cook. Their meals had always been prepared by the kitchen staff.

Her clan have a communal way of living. Things like laundry and cooking are handled by a group of civilian clan members from the Branch house and they do the chores for everyone in their clan, including babysitting children when their parents are away on missions. These clan members are paid well for their sacrifices and services to the clan. Their job is an unglamorous yet important job, so they deserve at least a respectable remuneration.

Of course, for those who prefer to do such chores themselves and not rely on others to do their dirty chores, they can always opt out of such services. The laundry area and the kitchen are also open for all to use. These communal services and facilities are paid for by the entire clan. The working adults and shinobis all contribute a part of their earnings as Clan Tax, depending on their age, rank, number of family members to support, and so forth. She and Haku all paid such taxes too the moment they became genin. This tax money is also used for things such as supporting any orphans they have, among many others.

"You just ate the dumplings _yesterday_."

"I want to eat them _today_. Go make me some dumplings. I'm _hungry_."

"There are apples in the kitchen."

"I want _real_ food. I want _fried_ _dumplings_. I'm _huuuuungrrrrry_~"

He sighed.

_"Hakuuuuuu_~~"

"You are insufferable."

"That's my job. I told you a long time ago, didn't I? I will annoy you my whole life if I have to."

Haku didn't reply as he stood up, dusted himself, and brought the scrolls with him back to his room. She followed after him, a slight skip in her steps as she watched him from behind.

He stood up again. Her Haku stood back up on his own two feet again. He always does. If not for himself, then it is for her.

This time, she has a feeling that it is for her, and it made her happy for reasons she cannot quite explain why.

It wasn't long before they reached the kitchen. The two of them politely greeted the Branch house members on kitchen duty today, who are surprised to see them there. The two of them are of a very high status within the clan. Especially her, since she is an heiress. Usually, people of their status wouldn't come to a '_lowly place'_ like the kitchen.

Well, too bad. She and him had never cared much about status.

After reassuring the panicking Branch members that the two of them are simply there to do their own things, and not because the food cooked by the kitchen staffs tasted so bad that it had offended them or anything, they both got to work.

To say Haku is an expert in making dumplings is an understatement.

Where it took at least ten minutes for a proficient cook to complete the dough, he used only five minutes to get it done _perfectly_. He managed it by cheating, using his manipulation over water and with some other usages of other water jutsus that will have any Kiri nins jumping on their feet if they saw it being used in any other way that is not killing or assassination. His application of Wind natured chakra cut the dough up perfectly into nice small blocks without even a need for a knife.

Within ten minutes, he can already start on making the wrapper.

She sat down in a corner of the kitchen and watched him work. The practiced motion of how he mechanically pounded and flattened each small dough block into a circular wrapper is hypnotising. He had created a few ice clones to make the fillings at the same time. Haku never liked to waste time. Efficiency, thy name is Haku.

She cannot help but smile from where she is sitting on a nearby stool, elbows on her knees, hands supporting her chin as she watched him hard at work while she is still watching him in a dreamlike state.

She really hopes that time can stay at this moment forever.

But time never stops. The wrappers and the fillings were soon completed at about the same time.

"If you want to eat the dumplings so much, then come and help me."

She clicked her tongue in mock annoyance at his words, but she still stood up, washed her hands, rolled up her sleeves, and got to his side. Her soft smile had never left her face.

He passed her a spoon, which she used to fill the wrappers with her desired amount of fillings. She then passed the filled wrappers to him, where he will fold them up nicely and transformed them into completed dumplings.

The dumplings he folded always look so pretty. Even her twin, who is no slouch in cooking herself, lost thoroughly to Haku when it comes to dumplings. The entire clan would know, the cooking showdown between Hinata and Haku took place just yesterday. Ever since that day where Haku displayed his skill in making and cooking dumplings, Hinata couldn't believe that someone actually had the skill that rivals her when it comes to making dumplings. Hinata had always took great pride in her culinary skills, but Haku's dumplings were so good that Hinata, her ever quiet elder twin sister, had challenged Haku to a dumpling showdown.

Haku won.

The whole clan who were in the compound at that time were all there to witness the competition. On the bright side, everyone in their clan yesterday got to eat some scrumptious dumplings made by the two competitors. No one minded if another of such competition were to take place again.

Hanabi and Haku worked silently in this manner, with her filling up the wrappers and he folding what she passed him. No words needed to be exchanged after living with each other for so long. They had always been by each other's side. They had long since mastered the art of understanding each other without needing to say a single word.

Soon, an entire tray of folded dumplings was filled. Furthermore, this is no normal tray. The trays in their kitchen are _huge_ as the kitchen is in charge of preparing the meals of the entire clan.

It is a lot of dumplings, and she's going to _eat them **all**_ since there is no one else to share these dumplings with today. Not her father and uncle, and not even her siblings. Nope, no one else is here for her to share those divine dumplings with. Yup, everything he cooks today belongs to her and her bottomless tummy. Her and her only. Haku's fried dumplings are a food of the gods. All of these should belong to her and her only because Haku is hers just as she is his.

If only that stupid idiot actually grows a brain and realises that deep down, he actually loves her more than anything. Never mind, he will get it soon enough. She can wait, the dumplings can't. Right now, these dumplings take priority.

"Let me try lighting the stove up."

"Is your chakra control…"

"It should be fine. Besides, you can always use your water to douse the fire if anything goes wrong."

She held up her right index finger and concentrated. A second later, the tip of her finger lighted up like a candle. She cannot help but frown a little. It is still too big for her liking and the flame is still uncontrollable. She had wanted the fire to be much smaller.

Still, her progress is already remarkable. Controlling the amount of increased chakra in her thanks to Matatabi's arrival is no easy feat. No one had expected her to improve like how she did.

Turning on the gas, she put her flaming finger near the stove to get the stove up and running. Haku put the frying pan on the stove the moment it was lighted up and started heating the pan, cooking oil already poured in.

The sizzling sound of the dumplings on the frying pan got her swallowing her saliva. She sniffed the air. The aroma is _divine_.

Oh _yes_, **_this_** is the dumplings she had been dreaming about ever since she ate the ones Haku fried for them two days ago. She can eat them every day and she will not get sick of it. She can start to understand Naruto's undying love for ramen now, how the blonde hyperactive knucklehead can seemingly eat ramen for all three meals every day for the rest of her life and not get sick of it.

The moment the first batch was done, Hanabi wasted no time in picking up one of those heavenly fried dumplings with a pair of chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"Ah!"

"Seriously, are you a three-year-old?" She can hear Haku admonishing her as he temporarily stopped whatever he is doing when her tongue got scalded by the steaming hot dumpling. "I _just_ took them out of the pan, let it cool a little before eating them. Why did you even take such a big bite?"

A globule of ice-cold water floated in front of her and she drank it without delay to ease the scalding pain on her tongue. When she looked up, she can see Haku's frowning face looking down at her.

He conjured a small rectangular pane of ice below the plate of finished dumplings and hovered it high up in the air, way beyond her reach.

"Haku!"

_Her dumplings!_

"Learn to be patient."

She took this chance to start annoying him incessantly as he continues to fry the remaining dumplings. She could have simply jumped in the air with a chakra enhanced leap and snag all those dumplings by herself, but where's the fun in that?

"_Haku_~ Hurry it up already! I want to eat the dumplings!"

"Stop whining."

She jumped and latched onto his back, resting her head on his shoulders and watch him continue frying the dumplings expertly only with a pair of metal chopsticks in hand. She talked non-stop, uncaring if anyone else is in the kitchen or not. Let people talk all they want. So what if she is a jinchuriki? So what if people labelled him as 'mentally unstable'? So what if what she is doing now is behaviour unbefitting of a Hyuga? They both just came back from a close brush with death, who cares about what other people say?

"Get off me."

"Never!"

"How am I supposed to fry the dumplings with you clinging onto me?"

"You are a genius. You work something out."

He nearly stumbled from the extra weight on him when he tried to reach out for the nearby bottle of cooking oil to add to the frying pan. She barely managed to smother her laughter.

"You saw that. Seriously, let go. I can't continue to cook like this."

"Never!"

"You are heavy, so let go."

"Did you _just_ say that **_I_** am _heavy_? That's it! I'm never letting go now!"

He groaned. She laughed.

"Go away, Hanabi."

"Never!"

She will never let him go. She will never leave his side.

Never again.

* * *

"How is your eyesight?"

"It's been stable ever since we tried the experiment. I used Kamui quite a lot to chase the Kumo nins out of the Land of Fire, and yet my eyesight had not deteriorated since. I think it is working."

"I see." Rin said quietly as she wrote something on her clipboard and then run one more diagnostic test with her medical expertise just to make absolutely sure. Injecting the cells of their First Hokage into his body is no laughing matter. The lifeforce of the former God of Shinobi is nothing to scoff at.

But if this breakthrough in medical technology can allow his clansmen to avoid total blindness in the future, to eradicate the barbaric practice of switching eyes between kinsmen for good, then he will gladly offer himself as a lab rat to be experimented on.

If this experiment proved to be successful, it will have significant effects on the Uchiha clan. It will be a step closer to abolishing that bloody and barbaric practice.

"I'm done."

At Rin's words, Obito sat up and wore his shirt again, covering the whitish patch on his torso that had been implanted with Hashirama's cells. Whether this allows him to use the fabled Wood Release remains to be seen, but Tsunade herself doubted it. Wood Release is not easy to use. To obtain a bloodline by simply injecting the cells of one that can use said bloodline limit is not going to cut it, or everyone would be doing that to get their hands on various bloodline limits by now. It's not that simple, even if some bloodline limits can be transferred with a simple transplant. However, that only applies to a select few.

"You'll be posted to the borders again, right? Sensei just informed me."

"I will try my best to come back alive." Obito said as he tried his best to reassure the love of his life, Rin. "Kakashi will be there too, so everything will be fine. We will watch each other's backs."

"You two better come back safe." She whispered as they both hugged each other. "I… I don't want to lose you, Obito. I nearly lost you in the last war, and I was so afraid I might lose you again when the invasion happened. You were facing _Killer Bee_."

"You won't lose me. It won't happen." He reassured her again, and he will do it as many times as he needs to.

For her, for his friends, for those he cares about, for his village, he will come back victorious if a war does break out. He will do it to protect those that he cares about.

"Obito?"

"Yes?"

"When you come back… let's get married."

Whatever words Rin spoke next, he doesn't know. His mind had stopped working.

"-to? Obito?"

"R-Rin?" He stuttered as he gently pulled her away and looked at her in the eyes. "Y-You are not pulling my leg, right?"

"I'm serious." Nohara Rin said with a slight disapproving frown, as if his words just offended her. The next moment, a gentle and happy smile broke out on her face with a hint of cheekiness.

"Is this enough incentive for you to come back alive now?"

"Y-Yes!" He exclaimed happily, sharingan whirling to life to imprint this particular memory into his mind for eternity. "Yes! _Yes_! **_YES_**!"

"I never thought we will be the first among our friends to get married, you know? But I guess now is a good time as any."

"I will inform Fugaku and Mikoto-sama about this arrangement before I leave. They will be happy to hear this."

Rin gave a hum of agreement.

"You are visiting Haku later, right?" Rin asked as she sat beside Obito and rested her tired head on his shoulders. It will be another long shift in the hospital today.

"I'm still busy here in the hospital, so I cannot go check on him as regularly as I like. Help me see if he is doing fine, will you?"

"I will. Don't worry, I won't fail them as their sensei again."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Whatever happened wasn't your fault."

"I should have at least _checked_ before going out on my missions."

"No one could have expected Tsunade-san to… whatever she did. We trusted her."

"I know even someone like her makes mistakes every now and then. Make no mistake, I'm angry at her, but what I'm angrier about is Kumo. This is the _second_ time they spit in our faces. The Hyuga Affair, and now this. Our village had sincerely tried to be nice with them, and they just walked all over it. Nabi-chan and Haku-chan would have _died_ if they weren't so lucky. I would have lost _two students_ because these Kumo bastards are so paranoid of any village growing stronger than them. If it wasn't for Kumo, none of this shit would happen. Haku wouldn't have lost himself to madness and tried to escape reality."

Rin went silent a short while before speaking again.

"Tsunade-san is sincerely sorry for what she did, but knowing her prideful nature, she won't outright apologise."

Obito snorted.

"She's the _granddaughter_ of the founder of our village, the _grandniece_ of our Nidame, the _student_ of our Sandaime, and the only _Legendary Sannin_ left _who so happens_ to be the _greatest medic nin_ in the Elemental Nations. _Who **dares**_ to be angry at her?"

"She came and talked to me. She wants to do something for shinobis who suffers from mental illnesses. I think it is her way of making amends and apologising to Haku."

"And how is she planning on doing it?"

"Haku's situation made us realise… that someone like him won't be the last we will see. With the way our world works, with wars happening every decade or two at the longest, there will always be children like him who are ill-adjusted to the shinobi life, who are mentally scarred for life because there isn't anyone who reached out to them in time to pull them out."

Obito nodded reluctantly at the truth of Rin's words. He's still mad at Tsunade, but considering she was the one who found the likely cure to his clan's problem of blindness from using the mangekyo, there are things that he cannot say outright. He has to consider his clan's plight. The weakness of the mangekyo is one that he really wants to see erased, even if it means tolerating the Senju Princess.

"We realised that while Konoha invest a lot in our shinobi's physical health, the same cannot be said for their psychological and mental health. There wasn't a need to because shinobis tend to die young, most of them died even before their mental illness got treated. It wasn't a worthwhile investment. But now, Haku's situation made us realised that shinobi world is indeed wrong, like what he said."

"Our village are also known for producing geniuses whose mental health isn't the best."

"Exactly. Orochimaru, Kakashi, even Itachi at one point when the third war is still ongoing. Did you know that even _Itachi_ admitted to _jumping off a cliff_ when he was _five_ because he saw no meaning to life? That he wanted to know what death was, to see his true self so he _tried jumping off a cliff_? Thank Kami that he stopped himself before he ended up dead. And now Haku… It's like there will always be a few of ill-adjusted geniuses within every generation of our shinobis. If Konoha had some sort of system or framework that helps deal with a shinobi's mental health, to help them adjust to this violent world, maybe things would be better. Maybe Orochimaru wouldn't have gone rogue, maybe this invasion wouldn't even had happened at all. So many wouldn't have died."

Obito frowned a little. If Orochimaru hadn't gone rogue… hard to imagine.

"Tsunade and I decided to approach Inoichi-sama to discuss about the possibility of setting up some sort of support infrastructure to help shinobis with mental illness, especially for children. Inoichi-sama agreed immediately."

"Did you discuss this with sensei?"

"We did. He agreed, but we can only start after this period of crisis is over, since everyone is busy preparing our village from experiencing another possible war. That takes priority."

"Makes sense."

"The moment this is all over, Tsunade-san and I are going to learn more about healing mental trauma with Inoichi-sama's help. Hopefully, someone will never experience the same helplessness Haku did again. If only I had spotted this sooner…"

"You told me not to be too hard on myself, now I am returning your words back to you. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Rin sighed.

"Minato-sensei wants peace, and I do too. Really. I never really like combat all that much, which was why I decided to be a med nin. But if I don't have to be a med nin at all, because there is peace and so no one will ever need to see a med nin since they won't need to keep going on dangerous missions, I will be happy to give it all up."

"We will find peace one day." Obito said as his hold on her tightened, to reassure her the best he could. "Maybe not in our generation, but we can pave the road for the next one. We need to believe in the Will of Fire now more than ever."

The two of them remained in silence for another few more minutes, to enjoy some time together before Rin has to go and make her rounds again.

"Be safe." She whispered to him when she really has to go.

"I will."

* * *

His logical thinking had failed him.

It had never failed him before.

According to the book he read, he failed as a friend. He wasn't there when his friends needed him the most.

He couldn't understand why he failed, so he retraced his thoughts back to that day, trying to find a logical explanation through rational means.

The answer he arrived at, the reason why he missed that possibility, was because he forgot to account for human irrationality as a possible factor.

There were wartime practices that every Konoha shinobi would learn about the moment they became one. One such scenario even included the event of an invasion, and it was taught to everyone in the academy in their first year there. According to what he had learnt, in the case of an invasion and everything is simply too chaotic for anyone to keep a count of everyone else, and where everyone will be extremely worried about anyone else that they care about to maintain a level-headed mind, wartime protocol #12 will be invoked. The protocol's aim is to tally the number of alive, injured, and dead as soon as possible and to keep Konoha's shinobis going by giving the village's shinobis, as much as possible, a somewhat accurate account on who is still alive and dead.

Right after an invasion, everyone is worried for their loved ones, not knowing if they are dead or alive. If people know that their loved ones are still alive, then they would at least feel assured enough to keep going about doing their duties as shinobis of the village even if they didn't have a chance to see them until everything died down. Like what Tobi-sensei did when he was immediately sent out on an extermination mission right after the invasion ended.

Wartime protocol #12 works by utilising the power of word of mouth and placing faith in the village's Will of Fire. If a Konoha shinobi knew for sure that Comrades A, B, and C are still alive, he will pass the message on and let it circulate among their shinobi forces, so that anyone who is still out there searching for news of A, B, and C can at least have a peace of mind until they see them again. It is a method with a lot of faults, but in the case where an invasion really happened and everything is a chaotic mess, this is the best information network one is going to get until an official tally can be done.

Due to the Will of Fire Konoha believes in, logic would dictate that if Konoha Shinobi #1 spread the word that Comrades A, B, and C are alive, then Konoha Shinobi #1 will at least keep an eye out for them, or if they are injured, at least ensure that they are in good care before they go about doing their individual duties. Because they all believe in the Will of Fire, so they trust the words of their comrades without question in times of crisis. Everyone will take care of everyone else, to believe in strength through unity, that's what being a Konoha shinobi is about.

And so when everyone learnt that crackers-chan and girly-kun is in Tsunade's care, they all logically assumed that the Legendary Sannin would take care of them. Further logical thinking and past experiences with the two lovebirds on his team also supported the notion that crackers-chan and girly-kun are inseparable. Wherever one goes, the other will follow. So when he learnt that crackers-chan is in the hospital recovering from a near-death injury, his logical thinking led him to speculate that girly-kun must be in there too. By that extension, the both of them are safe.

Everyone he knew seemed to arrive at this same conclusion, given that no one checked any further when they learnt that Tsunade herself was the one who spread the word that they are alive and safe. They had all believed in the Slug Sannin and made the next logical assumption.

It was because of his wrongly construed thought back then, he chose to turn around and continued to help clean up the resulting mess instead of personally visiting his teammates, using his ink creations to move the injured and to rescue as many as he can like what he is supposed to do as a shinobi of Konohagakure.

On hindsight, he should at least go and verify his speculations. If he had at least done this extra step, then he would have found out earlier that girly-kun was actually locked in an underground cell instead of being in the hospital that he had assumed.

The books he read about making friends all wrote that friends should help each other in their time of need, and he wasn't there in girly-kun's time of need. Going by that logic, he is a bad friend. The worst kind of friend.

Somehow, that realisation made him feel…

What is it that he is feeling? He doesn't know.

He can tell that Tobi-sensei felt the same as well, that he too should have checked on the lovebirds on their team before going on his mission, that he shouldn't have just assumed when he too heard that they are in Tsunade's hands. Assumptions kills, that's what girly-kun used to say to him.

In any case, the past is in the past, like what crackers-chan like to remind girly-kun whenever he got lost in his thoughts. Right now, according to one of the books he read, is the time to make amends to his friends and show them that he is sincere in his apology. He needs to show them that he is indeed sorry for not being a dutiful friend to them when they had been nothing but helpful and understanding towards his social and emotionally stunted self.

He drew the first thing that came to mind. A picture of their team. The title of this artwork is named 'Team 13'.

Tobi-sensei assured him that the two of them will like it, and knowing them, they will not blame him for what happened. But he just cannot understand. According to what he learnt from the books he read, what he did is a violation of the sacred creed between friends, for not being there for them. That's what friends are for, right? To be there for each other.

He wasn't there for them, for crackers-chan when she had a hole punctured in her that should have killed her, for girly-kun when he was trapped in a place that allows his most negative thoughts to fester and consume him whole. Going by that logic, he failed as a friend, and the two of them had every right to be angry at him for not being a good friend.

So why did Tobi-sensei say that the two of them will not blame him?

He and Tobi-sensei finally had the chance to visit the two of them on the fourth day after girly-kun's discharge from the hospital. From what they knew from crackers-chan's siblings, girly-kun is making remarkable progress in his mental recovery. It's like he had rebounded somehow. Whatever crackers-chan said to him, it must have helped.

Crackers-chan also passed him and Tobi-sensei some not-so-subtle hints to them earlier through her siblings that they should really come over and visit, bringing them back to their current situation.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't understand the confused looks the two lovebirds send his way when he blurted it out the first thing he saw them.

"For what?"

"For not being there when you two needed me the most. We are a team, we are friends. According to-"

**"Shut up, Sai."**

Now, he's really confused. He can tell from the tone of their voice. Why are they not mad at him?

"Those books- urgh, I don't even know what to say." Crackers-chan facepalmed before opening her arms wide. "You know what? Screw words. You, Sai, are one of the best friends one can ask for. So don't be sorry when you have nothing to be sorry for. Now, come here so that we can all have a group hug. Yes, Haku, you too."

Crackers-chan literally glared at girly-kun with her byakugan active until he conceded, and crackers-chan glomped them all in a group hug.

"There, Team 13 is back again, everything's back to normal now."

"Awww, nabi-chan! Using this chance to secretly hug Haku-chan? Don't think I missed it! I tooootally saw that!"

"Shut up, sensei. If I want to hug Haku I will do it whenever I want however I want. I don't need excuses."

"Wait, since when did the two of you progress beyond the dating phase? Don't tell me… _THE BOTH OF YOU **K-K-KISSED**?!"_ Tobi-sensei's voice got obnoxiously loud, hands waving around frantically, and his eyes comically wide as he began to panic from his inner turmoil. "_OR MAYBE THE BOTH OF YOU **HAD S-S-SEX**?!_ _OH KAMI-SAMA_ _WILL I BE EXPECTING BABIES_\- "

Spikes of ice cut Tobi-sensei off, as per usual.

"_Woah_! Haku-chan! _Are you really trying to **murder** your dear sensei?!_"

"_Yes_. I am still deciding between letting you die a slow death by hypothermia or slowly expanding the water in your body to burst you like a balloon. Which one do you prefer, _hmm_?"

"Uh… none of the above?"

"Both of it together then. I'm _sure_ I can find a way _somehow_."

"Nabi-chan! _Save meeeee_!" Tobi-sensei wailed dramatically as always before hiding behind the definitely not amused crackers-chan and use her as a shield against the freezing walking winter. Sai cannot help but wonder why sensei likes to act in this manner in front of them. Is this another part of social interaction that he hadn't learnt about yet?

He should really start jotting some notes down. This is a rare learning opportunity.

Crackers-chan simply ignored their sensei cowering behind her. She turned to girly-kun with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Whatever you do, just don't get my hair wet. Other than that? You have my full support to mutilate this man-child however you wish."

_"With pleasure."_

"Oh, wait! **Wait**!" Tobi-sensei succeeded in making girly-kun take a pause from trying to invent one thousand and one creative ways to torture their sensei. "Sai said that he has a gift for you two!"

On cue, Sai gave everyone a scroll each. He himself has one.

"Open it up."

"This-! It's… It's _beautiful_, Sai." Crackers-chan was the first to react and from the expression that he identified as pleasant surprise showing on her face, Sai knew that she loved his gift. "Thank you."

"It's beautiful." Girly-kun seems to share the same feelings, a small smile on his face. "Thank you, Sai. As always, your drawings are beautiful."

The Team picture he drew for each of them, Team 13. It seems that everybody likes his gift.

And for some reason, he has a feeling that the smile that he currently has on his face is not a fake one.

"You are welcome, team."

"Oh! OH! I just remembered!" Hanabi jumped up and down excitedly as she quickly pulled him and their sensei along. "Since you guys are here, you two should totally try this out! It's fun!"

"Try what out?"

"You'll see!"

* * *

"Huno?"

Obito picked up the weird stack of cards that are colour coded into four different colours. It is a handmade card game Hanabi told them that Haku had invented just two days ago, a family friendly game that everyone can play. Hanabi had complained that the atmosphere in the clan and in the village is at an all-time gloom and doom, and Obito had to agree.

Gloom and doom is really the best description he can think of right now to describe the village. The idea of a possible war looming over the horizon can do that to everyone. Things are not looking good for Konoha even if their Yondaime had tried his best to keep their village's losses to a minimum.

As an heiress of her clan, Hanabi felt that she should at least try something to help lift the spirits of her clansmen up. In response to Hanabi's worry, Haku had invented this card game for Hanabi. From what Obito knew, Haku did this just for her, so that she can stop fussing and worrying about her clansmen.

According to Hanabi, the new card game is extremely fun that it made the mood in the clan much more cheery, and this card game is now a huge hit in the Hyuga clan even if it was just introduced mere days ago. It is so popular that every family in the Hyuga clan had made their own copy with what they have. The only female on their team had immediately shepherd him and Sai to try it out the moment they got here.

_"_Not Huno, _Uno."_

"And you invented this… out of boredom?"

"It was to shut Hanabi up."

"Hey!"

"How do you play this? What is this card anyway? _Wild Draw 4_? What a weird name."

"Trust me, you will grow to either really love it, or really hate this card."

"What are the rules?"

"Let's play one practice round first, shall we?"

* * *

"UNO! Hah! _Take_ **_that_**! Your dear sensei is going to win this!"

A brief silence fell upon the four of them where they are sitting on the floor of Haku's bedroom playing this new card game. Every ounce of their shinobi training kicked in, and all of them have their shinobi poker face on.

This is war, no mercy needs to be shown.

Well, the war will end soon. After all, he's going to win this! Who is he? He's Uchiha Obito, the next Hokage of Konohagakure!

Right before his next turn came about, for him to put his last card down and win this game, Sai still had the creepy fake smile on his face as his fingers went to slowly pick out a card from his hand.

Obito watched in dawning horror as the fake smile grew bigger and bigger as Sai's hand motion slowed dramatically when he put down **_that_** card.

"Wild Draw 4, Tobi-sensei."

_That damn smile._

"ARRRGGHHH!"

* * *

"Skip."

"Nabi-chan! I was _about_ to **_win_**! Why did you skip my turn?!"

"It is _precisely_ you are about to win that I skip your turn."

"Guys, we need to prevent Tobi-sensei from winning. Anyone can win but him."

"Agreed."

"W-Wait. What? How can you guys do this to your adorable sensei?!"

"Anyone have a Draw card?"

"I do."

"GUYS!"

"Good, keep it stacking."

"Got it. Draw 2."

"Another one here."

"Draw 2. It's a total of 6 now, sensei. Draw 6 for you."

"WHHHYYYYYYY?!"

* * *

"Reverse."

"…"

"We know you don't have any cards in your hand that you can use, sensei. Stop wasting time and just draw from the draw pile."

_One, two, three, four,…_

"Wow, he sure has crappy luck."

_Five, six…_

"Still haven't found an appropriate card?"

"Shut up, minions."

* * *

"You used your _sharingan_ and _still **lost**_?"

"… Shut up."

"Sensei, you really suck, you know that?"

"So this is the expression one uses when they experienced total defeat and humiliation…"

_Damn it, Sai._

"Why did I agree to be a jonin sensei?"

"Because you love us?"

"Because you have to?"

"Because Kakashi became one and you don't want to lose to your eternal rival?"

"I hate you guys."

* * *

After spending a few hours in the Hyuga compound and experiencing thirteen humiliating straight losses, Obito walked out of the compound with his head hung low and an air of defeat hanging around him like hovering rain clouds.

Well, at least he now knows that Haku is on his way to a full and speedy recovery. His own dignity is a small price to pay for his student's welfare.

"Here."

And Hanabi had given him a copy of these admittedly fun Uno cards for him to play with anyone he wants in his free time. It will help make missions a lot more bearable when he needs to find something to do to pass any idle time when he inevitably gets posted to the frontlines soon. He is almost certain that a war will erupt anytime now with how tense things are between their village and Kumo.

Suna had realigned themselves with Konoha when they found out that their Kazakage was being impersonated by Orochimaru. Konoha had let it go in favour of a new alliance between Suna and Konoha since Konoha is in no place to go around making more enemies. The same goes for Suna, and Suna also don't have much trust in Kumo or any other of the Big Five. Konoha is probably the best candidate for them to ally with, realistically and geographically. The only reason Suna and Kumo had a joint invasion was because of the insistence of their 'Kazekage'. An alliance between Suna and Konoha will be beneficial to both sides. Oto is now a mess without Orochimaru around and there is a lack of a clear leader to take over the place and rule the minor village. No one bothered to deal with it since they are now a non-threat and there is no further gain for them to do anything to Oto.

Otogakure is no more, that leaves Kumo, which is still unrepentant for their actions and is still adopting an aggressive stand towards Konoha.

"Don't lose too many rounds in Uno, sensei."

Obito's right eye twitched in annoyance when he was pulled out of his thoughts by Haku.

"Don't use your sharingan to cheat, because it won't work anyway. It will hurt your ego even more when you lose with your sharingan active."

Obito glared at Hanabi. Cheeky brat.

Obito sighed before both his hands rested on the lovebirds' heads and ruffled them.

Truthfully, being a jonin sensei is a tough job, and he doesn't think he had done a very good job in guiding them unlike what Minato did for him. Hanabi had improved drastically in the one month he tutored her, but Sai is still socially stunted and Haku's problems had never truly gone away while the boy was under his care.

Even the Bakashi is a better sensei than he will ever be.

"Well, in any case I'm just glad that the both of you are still alive." He said truthfully to the two little minions that he had nearly lost forever. "I will definitely be posted to the borders soon, in case another war breaks out, and I have no idea when I would return. But I will make sure to kill Darui when I see him, I promise."

"Make sure you put _holes_ in him." Hanabi added. "What he did to me was _painful_."

"Got it." Obito said with a smile before he turned to the wielder of ice.

"As for you, don't give us another scare like that, okay?"

Haku averted his gaze in guilt, but gave a silent nod.

"Good." Obito gave the biggest smile he can, just in case this somehow became the last smile he will ever give them as their sensei. You never know what will happen to you in war, no matter how strong you are. Anything can happen out there, he learnt that in his participation in the last one.

"According to the book I read, now should be the time to wish you a safe return."

"Burn them all, sensei."

"Just come back alive."

Obito wordlessly turned around and walked down the street, the warm orange rays of the setting sun shining down on his back as he gave his students a lazy wave of his hand as farewell.

Heh, now that his cute little minions had said that, he couldn't possibly go out there and lose now, can he? Besides, Kumo had just listed his cute little lovebirds as S Rank threats, to be dealt with extreme prejudice.

And would you look at that? Two of his minions had reached S Rank just a few months into their shinobi career. Sai himself is also definitely a solid chunin in strength. If it were any normal scenario, he would be bursting with pride. He still is, but only if such recognition of the lovebirds' strength didn't come at such a hefty price. Now, everyone will be watching his two lovebirds, waiting for any chance to eliminate them before they grow into their full potential, because they are just too talented.

As their sensei, he cannot allow them to come to harm. He will protect them, because he is their sensei.

In that case, then he will kill all who poses a threat to his cute little minions.

He will remind Kumo once more why he, Uchiha Obito, is called the Phantom of Konoha.

* * *

Things had improved greatly since then, in Hanabi's opinion.

The day after their sensei left, Haku decided to heed everyone's advice and go out to take a walk. Cooping himself in the compound all the time couldn't be healthy for his mind.

They decided to go find the rest of their fellow rookies. From what Sai said when he came to pick them up, they are helping out to clear up the mess in the village to restore their village back to its former glory. In that case, they will go and help out too. It's just not right to be sitting back and relaxing at home when all of their friends are out there hard at work, especially so when the both them are fine now.

From what she found out from her father, Suna surrendered unconditionally, saying that they were manipulated into participating in the invasion since their Kazekage was killed and was impersonated by Orochimaru dating at least a few months back. The invasion was technically Orochimaru's idea, and they only just found that out.

Kumo, however, still have some beef against them. It's _always_ Kumo.

To add on, Haku and her also face discrimination from their fellow villagers. She because of her new jinchuriki status, and he because of what he did to save her.

Haku is now officially on the shit list of many of their own comrades for what he did for her sake. He had jeopardised the safety of the entire village just for a chance to save her, although it had benefitted Konoha in the end. Everyone is torn about what to do with him, but their Yondaime's last words had included a pardon for Haku, and Haku's attempted suicide isn't a big secret given the commotion it made. There were also sympathisers to Haku's plight, so it isn't all that bad for him.

In the end, people either let Haku be out of respect for their late Yondaime, continue to badmouth him, or actually understood Haku's plight and turned a blind eye.

Still, Hanabi is not that naïve. She knows that there will be consequences and lingering sentiments about what Haku did. Hopefully, with Minato as the Hokage now, he will be able to shield Haku from the backlash as much as possible.

_Taking on a **Tailed Beast** on his **own**._

_That. Stupid. **Idiot**. _

**_Urrrrrgghh!_**

But then again, she cannot help but smile when she thinks about the lengths that he will go to just to keep her alive. Idiot. He's really an idiot.

Now that she is a jinchuriki, her status is different. Her life now belongs to the village (_not exactly **that** different from being a shinobi for the village, but the weight behind the meaning is a lot heavier now_), she is now a tool for the village. People will fear her just for having an oversized cat in her gut. She will be ostracised by those who cannot understand what she had sacrificed to keep everyone safe from Matatabi.

She admits it scares her a little, that those she views as her friends and comrades might turn on her simply for housing the cat, but she knows Haku will be there for her. He had always been there for her no matter what happened, and she will always be there for him to pull him out if he ever goes too deep. If he's there, then she thinks she can handle all the incoming hate.

There will probably be restrictions imposed on her as well. Kushina explained that it is to protect her since she is now an extremely valuable asset to Konoha. Kushina will start on training her how to properly utilise Matatabi's powers the moment her chakra control is back to normal. Kushina will train her alongside Naruto. There's now an urgent need for the both of them to master this power.

Another war might break out.

Kumo is still aggressively hostile towards Konoha. Even when it had suffered considerable losses from the failed invasion, it is still strong in military might. Suna is not that big of a threat. Assuming that even if there is no Suna-Konoha alliance, even if Suna wanted to try and pick up from where they had left off, they had already lost their Kazekage, and they are dry on resources to begin with. They don't have what it takes to continue what they started even if they wanted to. Konoha lost two Kage level shinobis along with many of their elites in the unexpected invasion. Having two rampaging Tailed Beasts within their village had been the main cause behind the losses. Would have been three Tailed Beasts if Haku didn't stop Gaara.

Iwa is still silent as far as anyone knows, but Konoha and Iwa had always been enemies. There is a high chance that Iwa might make a move against Konoha as well, maybe they might even ally themselves with Kumo to take Konoha out. Kiri is still a place shrouded in mystery denser than the fog surrounding the country. No one knows what exactly is going on in there.

Discounting Kiri, the Suna-Konoha alliance is definitely in a weaker position than a possible Iwa-Kumo one. Iwa and Kumo have every reason and advantage now to press on for war against them. They have the upper hand. That is not counting the minor villages that might have a grudge against Konoha for whatever reasons. The current situation is not advantageous to Konoha at all. All it takes is for someone to spark another conflict as huge as the invasion, and another world war may erupt.

In response, Konoha is now working overtime to prevent and to also prepare for such a possibility. Now that Hanabi is a jinchuriki, she is expected to harness and control Matatabi's powers for Konoha's sake, and as soon as possible. It brought her thoughts back to the discussion her team had in the Forest of Death, about peace and about the society that they live in. Sai had said that shinobis are simply tools to the village, and tools have no need for emotions or a sense of self. Is this what he was talking about?

She is starting to detest this part of being a shinobi.

The glares directed at her, both fearful and distrustful, got more intense the further they walked towards the centre of their village.

She cannot understand why people look at her this way, as if she might explode and the cat will come out to play the moment she so much as cough. And yes, she now has a flaming cat capable of wanton destruction sealed within her, but she's still _her_. She's still Hyuga Hanabi of Konohagakure. Nothing has changed.

So why is everyone around them that is not her teammates looking at her with such poorly concealed fear?

She had ignored it the first time she stormed over to the Hokage Tower to bring her Haku back. She never thought that much about it after that since she was in her clan compound all this time until now, but is this what Kushina and Naruto had warned her about? What it really means to be a jinchuriki? How did they endure such glares for all of their lives? She's only out here for a few minutes and already she's starting to feel a little uncomfortable from the stares being directed at her. And this is only the street right outside her clan compound, she cannot imagine what would happen the moment she stepped out of here and walk around the village's main street.

Haku had obviously noticed the stares as well, seeing as how he subtly shifted his body to block the glares directed at her. So did Sai.

Haku also received glares, probably for releasing Matatabi within Konoha to save her. He willingly incurred the hate and wrath of their fellow villagers just to save her.

"How's the rest of them doing?"

Haku's question got her to turn her head to Sai as well.

"Ugly lost her father, she was devastated and locked herself in her house for quite a long while. No one saw her until recently." Sai said quietly. "But in the end, she decided to cope with her grief by keeping herself busy. So she's with the rest of us rookies doing the cleaning up. Boobless and duck-ass are with her most of the time keeping an eye on her. Ugly's coping quite well all things considered, she's mostly okay now once she let it all out after the Yondaime's funeral. The rest of them are doing fine as far as I can tell."

Oh right, she missed the Yondaime's funeral because she was unconscious and in the hospital. Haku did not like the Yondaime much, but she can tell that he is grateful to the Yondaime since he had played a crucial role in getting her to stay alive until Matatabi was sealed in her. She is unable to thank the Yondaime now, but she will remember to pass on her thanks for the Yondaime to Sakura when she has the chance to speak with her in private. She deserves to hear this.

The three of them walked in silence, purposely taking the route with lesser people when they noticed that the glares the villagers are giving them intensified even further.

The stares that constantly reminds her about her new status as a jinchuriki. She can hear the not-so-quiet whispers again.

The freak. The cat. The **_monster_**.

Is this what she will experience for the rest of her life?

"Just say the word, and I will freeze them." Haku spoke up, bringing her thoughts back to reality.

"I can hide the bodies." Sai offered. "Tobi-sensei can erase the memories of all witnesses with his sharingan. No one would notice if a few bodies were added to the death toll. There are still new bodies turning up every now and then from all the wreckage."

Hanabi cannot help but giggle.

"Thanks, guys."

"LOOK! IT'S HANABI-CHAN AND HAKU-NII!"

Naruto's hollering got their heads turning to the source of the voice. Right in front of them where a large crater filled with debris and strewn weapons are is where their friends are located, who are now running up to them.

"Hanabi-chan! Haku-nii! You are alright!"

"Hn. Stop stating the obvious, dobe."

"Sasuke, be nice."

"Are you two feeling okay? Uh… want a chip?"

"I knew you lovebirds are too troublesome to stay dead. Welcome back."

"Shika! That's not how you greet people!"

"Hanabi-chan's and Haku-kun's flames of youth burns bright and strong! Yosh! To celebrate this joyous occasion, I will-"

"Lee. Don't."

"It's nice to have you back, Hanabi, Haku. Why? Because you are our comrades and the Rookie 15 wouldn't be the Rookie 15 without the both of you."

"Wow, Hanabi. You actually _smell_ like a cat now. I thought you were a dog person? What happened to dog pals for life? I'm _hurt_."

Akamaru gave a few barks of agreement as the friendly ninken went to slobber her with his tongue as his way of saying hello.

"See? Akamaru agrees with me."

"Well, nobody says I cannot be _both_ a cat and a dog person." Hanabi retorted to Kiba's words with her hands on her hips. Her eyes are getting a little moist, but she blinked them away.

"Are you two sure you are feeling well enough to walk around?" Neji asked in concern with a frown on his face. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"I-I'm fine! Haku's fine too! Really! S-See?" Hanabi cried out in half exasperation and half happiness as she used a finger to dab away the tears from her eyes. The village might shun her, but thankfully her friends and family didn't.

To her, that is enough. She's happy.

"Let's just go back to work." Haku cut them off. "If Hanabi said she's fine, then she's fine."

"Awwww, coming to your girlfriend's rescue! _How sweet_!" Ino cooed with her hands clasped together in that annoying high-pitched voice of hers, purposely ignoring the murderous glares Hanabi and Haku are sending her way.

"I agree. According to the book I read about-"

"**Shut up, Sai**."

"… Why only me? _Why is it always **me**_? Beautiful was talking too."

"WAIT WAIT WAIT. **Hold on a sec**." Kiba waved his hands frantically before scooting up to Sai and slung an arm around the artist's shoulders. He cupped his ear with his other hand, as if trying to make absolutely sure that he wasn't hearing things.

"I must have heard wrongly. **_What_** nickname did you give _Ino_ again?"

"Beautiful."

Hanabi is sure that her jaws aren't the only one that is hanging in mid-air right now.

"What? Nicknames are given in a way that best suit the person's characteristics, right? At least that was what the book said."

"And you called me _Ugly_." Sakura deadpanned.

"I'm just being honest."

"SAI!"

"Woah woah! Cool down, Sakura-chan! TEME! Help me out here! Sakura-chan's too strong! Sakura-chan! CALM DOWN!"

"What is Ugly so mad about?"

**"SAI, JUST SHUT UP!"**

"CHA! **THAT'S IT**! DON'T HOLD ME BACK, NARUTO, SASUKE! IMMA **_KILL_** HIM! SHANNARO!"

"What are you waiting for, Sai? Run!"

* * *

Hanabi realised that there's really a lot to be done when it comes to cleaning up the mess.

The higher ranking shinobis are mostly involved in the more important stuffs that is too confidential or dangerous for genins like them to be involved, so the grunt work are mostly delegated to genins with a few chunins deployed to supervise them. Clearing the debris is one thing. The other thing is picking up whatever discarded weapons or ninja tools they can find. These can either be reused or melted down to be recycled. In this time of crisis where a war may or may not break out anytime soon, they have to make use of anything they can find and scavenge.

Like Sai had mentioned, dead bodies still turned up every now and then even if the invasion had ended more than a week ago by now. These bodies are sealed in a scroll that is marked with a black band or coloured with a black marker or ink, the universal colour for death. This is so that when these scrolls are handed back to the people assigned to sort through the collected items, they would know what to expect when unsealing the contents and not get a nasty surprise. There are other colour coding too. Green is for medical supplies, red is for weapons, just to list a few. These are what they had all learnt during their time in the academy, they only just got the chance to practice what they had learnt now.

There are lots of debris strewn about, which they either sealed away so that they can clear it faster or manually break it down into smaller pieces and move it aside for the professionals to clean them up later. The latter practice is more often used because Konoha cannot afford to be using too many scrolls for such a menial task. Only the truly big and troublesome debris are sealed away to be disposed of later.

"Hey, another dead body! I smell it!" Kiba called out just as Akamaru barked in affirmation. "Hinata! Ten o' clock! Give me some confirmation!"

"I see it too. Kumo shinobi." Hinata said with a nod of her head, byakugan active. "We need to first move away the debris though."

"Let me." Choji volunteered as he enlarged his arms. With a single motion, the large piece of concrete was lifted up into the air as Sai's drawings went to drag the body out.

"Argh! The damn smell!" Kiba complained as he pinched his nose the moment the smell of rotting flesh wafted in the air. Akamaru imitated his partner's actions with a whimper and paws covering his nose. His actions were copied by several of their friends as well. It does stink.

The body was quickly frozen by Haku in a coffin of ice to prevent the rotting smell from destroying everyone's noses. A quick minor application of a wind-based jutsu blew the remaining offending smell away.

"I'm sure this was my work." Hanabi said as she peered at the mangled corpse encased in the coffin of ice, whose death is definitely brought about by extreme burns. They are now in the same area where they had been fighting during the invasion, right before Yugito Nii made her appearance. The location and timing fits. This has to be her work. The burns said so.

"What is this now? An art exhibition?" Ino asked dryly although her comment was ignored. The entire group had been comparing and making comments or guesses on how enemy shinobis were killed, which shinobis they knew that might have killed them, and who did it better during the entire duration the moment they dug another corpse out. If they found the corpse of a shinobi that is from Konoha, they would give a respectful silent prayer to their fallen comrades before sealing it away in a scroll meant only to contain the bodies of their deceased comrades.

Enemy shinobis though, were quickly frozen in coffins of ice by Haku and laid out on display for all to see. Doing grunt work is boring, they all need some sort of entertainment to help pass the time.

And all fifteen of them really have some vengeful steam to vent after the invasion. Right now, this is the only way they can do it that is not done in a destructive manner.

"I'm sure that Suna shinobi was killed by me. I was here with crackers-chan, and the slash mark on his neck fits. I remember slashing him with my Tanto." Sai added as he pointed to another coffin of ice nearby that houses said shinobi.

"No, I'm sure it's **_me_**." Tenten made her disagreement known immediately. "Those shurikens on him are definitely my work."

"That may be true, weapons-chan, but I'm sure I'm the one that dealt the killing blow."

"See the spots of slight chakra burns on his arm? That was the work of Gentle Fist, no doubt. I'm the one who killed him." Neji stated with his arms crossed.

"My hip and cool rival! Look at what I found!"

Lee's loud voice got everyone turning and they nearly gagged at the smell and sight.

"**LEE!** STOP WAVING THE CORPSE AROUND!"

True to Sakura's words, Lee is half-dragging, half-waving a rotting and mangled corpse about when he is trying to show everyone his 'achievement'. The half-rotten head of the Oto shinobi is barely attached to his neck.

"The cause of death of this one is definitely by blunt force." Haku said after he froze the corpse in a casing of ice and doused Lee with a huge blast of water to '_wash away the germs'_, in his own words.

"That's right! I remembered this particular adversary! I ended his youth in a single kick!" Lee said excitedly. "Beat that! My eternal rival!"

Neji simply pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Anymore corpses before I seal them all up?" Haku asked in favour of directing Lee's attention to somewhere else.

"None as far as I can see." Hinata said as Kiba gave a nod of affirmation with his fingers still pinching his nose. Shino merely gave a silent nod.

"Right." Haku laid out a scroll on the ground before unrolling it. He levitated the numerous coffins of ice and placed it above the unrolled scroll. A simple hand seal later, the corpses are now sealed within the scroll.

"Here." Sai offered his brush when Haku had rolled the scroll back, and Haku used the ink from the brush to mark a band of black along the centre of the scroll, colouring it in the correct colour code.

"Haku-nii! We finished picking up the weapons!"

Naruto waved energetically with the other group of the Rookie 15 from where they are as they made their way to them, a red coded scroll in hand.

"Stop shouting, dobe."

"Let's get a move on, the debris disposal team will get rid of the rest. We need to move to the southern district to continue picking up weapons and finding bodies." Shikamaru said with a yawn. "We still have a few more sites to tour after that. What a drag. Even after so many days we are _still_ not done with this."

"Let's race there! To the southern district!" Naruto exclaimed as she bounced on her feet excitedly, her finger pointing excitedly and dramatically in said direction. "Last one to reach treats everyone to Ichiraku!"

"Yakiniku Q? _Please_?" Choji asked with a slight hint of desperation. "I want my meat."

"YOSH! I will win this race! If I don't, I will-"

"We will decide the place later." Neji cut Lee off with practiced ease.

"Heh, a race does sound nice." Sasuke, ever the competitive Uchiha, said with a smirk as he adjusted the arm warmers he wore.

"Akamaru and I are so going to win this!"

"Are there any rules?" Ino said with confidence, and Hanabi is sure that the Yamanka heiress have some sort of evil plan in her mind. What is it exactly is anyone's guess.

"How about a free-for-all?" Sai added with a smile that is too wide to be natural. "Anything goes."

"You can _fly_. That's cheating." Tenten accused.

"Ah, I got found out. I will need to work on how to lie properly."

"We are shinobis, Tenten. Cheating is part of the job description."

"_Don't regret this_, Neji. If that's the case, I'm going to cheat my way to victory."

"What a drag. But it will be even more of a drag if I lose. Troublesome."

"A race will be fun. Why? It can help to lift the otherwise dreary mood brought about by the invasion."

"I'm so winning this!" Hanabi exclaimed as she jumped up in excitement to stick her feet onto a nearby wall, warming up for the start of the race.

Only for the wall to explode upon coming into contact with her chakra.

"Hanabi!"

Just as she thought she will fall and land onto the ground, a pair of arms caught her and shielded her from the falling debris. Haku's worried face looked down at her as her brain froze, not registering what just happened.

Their friends had crowded around her by now, their expressions equally worried.

"What just happened?" Choji asked in concern.

"She used too much chakra to stick onto the wall." Shikamaru pointed out. "See the hole on it? Just how much chakra did you use, Hanabi?"

"I..." Hanabi said in a daze as Haku let her down from his arms. She had thought she had relearned her chakra control enough to at least do tree walking properly. It worked well enough when she practiced at her clan's training grounds.

So why?

"Must be the Nibi's influence." Haku stated. "Your chakra reserve is probably still increasing and adjusting from having a Tailed Beast sealed within you. It will take a while before your chakra reserve stabilise to a set level. Until then, you will have to keep getting used to adjusting to the constant change to your chakra reserve, which means your chakra control will have to make constant adjustments accordingly until your chakra levels stabilise. Gaara, Yugito, Bee. All of the jinchurikis we met have large chakra reserve as far as I know, thanks to the beast sealed within them. You are no different, since you are a jinchuriki now."

She knew. She _knew_ about this, but that doesn't mean she wants to accept it. Her chakra control, the _one_ part of her which she is so proud of because she's always had been the best in this department, is now _gone_? _Just like **that**_?

And she had practiced so hard to get her chakra control back too, right after having Matatabi sealed within her. She had thought she had gotten most of her chakra control back only to find her chakra reserves _still_ fluctuating madly. All her hard work is gone, again.

Not wanting to accept this, she placed a hand on a nearby broken slab of concrete wall before trying to slowly release chakra through her palm, little by little, doing it carefully like how she was taught when she first started learning the Gentle Fist under her father.

She didn't quite succeed. Her chakra was uncontrollable as it rushed out of her palm, like a torrent of raging water breaking through a dam the moment she called upon it. The wall exploded at her touch.

"_Holy_\- Hanabi! What was that?!" Kiba shouted in shock from where he is as Hanabi clenched her outstretched hand to forcefully calm herself down.

**Damn it.** If it wasn't for that stupid Darui, she wouldn't be like _this_. It's _always_. **_KUMO_**. She's really, really, really, _really_, **_really_** starting to hate them now. With **_passion_**.

Oh how she will _enjoy_ razing the village down when she finally mastered using Matatabi's powers. It will be irony at its finest, since Matatabi had traditionally belonged to Kumo. He doesn't know if Obito-sensei will find him, but she is so going to barbeque the laser guy for doing this to her when she sees him, and also if Haku doesn't get his hands on him first. He can be really protective of her.

And she really secretly enjoys seeing him being protective of her.

But still, it doesn't change the fact that her chakra control is **busted**. _Years_ of her hard work in mastering her chakra control, _gone_. Just like that. The thought of it never stung so badly until now, when her loss of her famously impeccable chakra control had been made so painfully obvious _in front of **everyone**_.

**Damn it!**

"Relax." Haku said as he held onto her wrist, pulling her back out of her anger and frustration. "Hanabi. Focus. Look at me."

Haku's words managed to snap her out of her funk as she looked up to him. It was then that she realised that she was actually leaking portions of Matatabi's chakra about when she was lost in her thoughts.

Shit. She nearly lost control.

"It's not the end of the world. Your chakra control is still there, you just have to get used to learning how to control such a huge reserve of chakra. Sai, brush."

Wordlessly, Sai handed Haku his ink-filled brush.

With a few swift strokes, a seal is painted on the back of her left hand. Hanabi looked back up at Haku. What is this seal for?

"Try again."

She placed her palm on another broken wall beside her. A few of her classmates wisely took a few steps back in case it exploded again. Only Haku, Sai, and her siblings didn't.

Her hand stuck onto the wall like she had hoped.

"How?" She asked in amazement as she cut off the flow of chakra to her palm.

"Seals can do _anything_." Haku replied in a smug tone as he handed the brush back to Sai. "This seal won't last forever though, probably an hour or two at the most since it is one I came up with on the spot. It is supposed to contain and restrict the chakra on a target, but for someone like you with such a huge chakra reserve, it would act more like a filter or funnel. The amount of chakra the seal is allowing you to use should be within your comfort zone. Until your chakra reserve finally stabilises and you relearn your chakra control again, you might need to rely on something like this for a while."

"COOOL!" Naruto shouted with literal sparkles in her eyes.

"So, race? Yes? No?"

"Well… if you want to lose so badly..." Sasuke taunted as he looked at Kiba, sharingan already activated and the competitive Uchiha streak back in full force.

"You are **_so_** going down, Sasuke. Right, Akamaru?"

Kiba's loyal partner gave a few barks of affirmation, tail wagging happily.

"What are we waiting for? Let's start!" Naruto whooped as she picked up a pebble from the ground. She flicked it up into the air with her thumb, and the entire Rookie 15 waited with bated breath for it to drop.

Chaos ensued the moment the pebble touched the ground.

Naruto had immediately created Shadow Clones to throw her like a javelin, and then proceeded to create more of these clones in mid-air to allow her to continue her artificial propelled flight as her clones threw her through the air. Sasuke had sped off, and so did Sakura. Choji had enlarged himself into a human tank and started rolling. Shikamaru had used his shadows to trip Ino and Kiba to get a head start, much to their chagrin. Shino is using the bugs swarming out of his sleeves to obstruct everyone's vision. Hinata went unnoticed and slipped under everyone's radar as she ran off with Neji. Lee had taken off his weights and disappeared in a green blur, only to find himself dragging Tenten along because she had wrapped a ninja wire around him and used him to pull her around, not like the youthful Green Beast of Konoha noticed the extra weight. Sai had taken off into the air with the bird he drew and animated to life.

"You are not moving?" Hanabi asked as she nudged Haku with her elbow, who is simply standing beside her and shrugged at her words. The two of them watched calmly as their friends slowly disappeared into the horizon in their mad race to the southern district of the village. No one wants to be the one to treat Naruto to Ichiraku. That can make anyone go bankrupt.

"It is much more fun to watch them struggle. Need I remind you that I am someone who is able to keep up with the Raikage's speed, even if it was a short while? It would not be fair to them if I don't give them a head start. Need to give them the illusion that they could win before I crush their hopes and dreams."

Hanabi crossed her arms and gave an exaggerated nod.

"That's so cruel and mean of you, but I approve."

"What about you? Not running along?"

"Waiting for you to bring me along."

"Who said I will bring you along?"

"Me."

"I can just leave you behind."

"You won't."

The rest of their friends had disappeared beyond the broken walls of debris by now. Wow, they really are fast. Motivation is really a powerful thing to behold.

"Let's go." Haku relented as he created a pane of ice in front of them and placed a hand on her shoulder. He can teleport them to the endpoint in a split second simply by creating ice mirrors across the sky for him to jump across instantaneously until he reaches the southern district. Like he said, there's no competition at all. It is not a boast if he can actually do it.

She idly wonders what their friends' expressions will be when they found out they got played, that Haku is the biggest cheater out of them all. His Ice Release is really too versatile.

"We will probably have the rights to choose where to eat later, since we will be the first to reach. What do you want to eat? Anything in mind?" He asked as he looked at her.

"Anything that is not Ichiraku." She replied with a shudder. "I'm sick of that salty broth. Kushina-san feeds us so much ramen that it can last us a lifetime."

"I will leave you to deal with Naruto's whining then."

"Deal." She said with a laugh as they phased and merged with his ice mirrors, allowing him to bring her along using his ice mirrors to win this race.

Life's not always fair to her, but with him around, everything will be alright. Life had never been fair to him too, but she will be there for him, so everything will also be alright.

As long as the two of them stick by each other's side, everything will be alright.


	21. Chapter 21- Getting Back Up

Tension Arc

_Fire. Fire everywhere._

Run. Don't stop running. Someone is out for your life and all you can do is to run.

_Broken walls. Corpses littering the area. Lightning jutsus raining down on her._

Why are you still looking at those? Someone is trying to kill you! Run. RUN!

_Dodged the lightning jutsus. Continue running. Chakra reserves running low. Fire Release Chakra Mode can no longer be maintained._

Run run _RUN HE'S GAINING ON YOU!_

Laser beams were fired. There was no way out. All she can do is to-

_PainpainpainPAINPAIN**PAINPAINPAIN-**_

Her eyes fluttered open in shock, breathing laboured. She can feel cold sweat clinging onto her skin as her eyes saw the ceiling of her bedroom. It's dark. It should be dark. It's the middle of the night and the whole compound is asleep.

Another nightmare of that day.

Hanabi slowly sat up on her bed, tucking her knees close to her chest as she wiped the sweat accumulated on her forehead using the back of her hand. Ever since that day, she has been reliving the horror of getting killed at least once per night every time she goes to sleep. If she's unfortunate enough, sometimes two.

Stupid Kumo jonin with that stupid giant butcher knife.

She covered her face with her palms and rested her elbows on her knees. Everybody's busy. Everybody has their own inner demons to fight. Everybody's tired from doing their part in preparing for the next world war that most probably will break out very soon. She cannot trouble them any further. She's already a liability as it is. She's one of the heiresses of the noble Hyuga clan. She's a kunoichi of Konohagakure. She's the jinchuriki of the Nibi. She's not weak. She can do this. It's just some stupid nightmare of that day and she is still alive. She is Hyuga Hanabi. She can overcome this.

But _damn _this is easier said than done.

Her now immensely powerful chakra hummed beneath her skin, telling her that she's awake and not trapped in a dream. She can feel her own growing chakra and Matatabi's fiery one. The lazy cat is probably asleep. It sleeps for at least two thirds of the entire day and hates getting woken up for 'stupid' reasons. At least the beast within her is a reasonable and somewhat cooperative one. Naruto and Kushina never stopped ranting about the uncooperative Kyubi.

She forced herself to take deep breaths, breathing in and out through her mouth._ In, out, in, out._ Breathing exercises taught to her by her cousin always worked wonders. Maybe there is a logic behind her Neji-nii's seemingly stupid meditation practices.

For the first time in her life, she loathes going back to sleep. Everytime she closes her eyes at night that very same scene will appear before her again. She will be running. No matter how fast she ran or what route she takes those stupid lasers will find their mark on her again. Holes will be put into her body again.

She doesn't want to admit it, but everytime she finds herself in that dream again no matter how brave she tries to be she's just so scared.

Kumo. It's always Kumo. Every single big problem in her life is always because of Kumo.

She dragged her fingers through her long hair in frustration. She's so sweaty and sticky that she feels disgusted by her own current state. Stupid nightmares.

She quietly opened the bedroom window a little bigger to allow the night breeze to enter. The chilly wind cooled her down somewhat. She weighed the pros and cons of the option of going to take a quick shower right now. She decided against it, because doing so at 2.30 am will be freezing cold.

She tightened the sash of her night robe a little and decided to leave her room to breathe in some fresh air. Maybe the sight of the full moon can slowly lull her back to sleep once more. She slipped on her slippers and walked out, her footsteps silent like how she was taught to do so at the age of five.

She subconsciously walked past Haku's room which is just next to hers. Her right hand is already outstretched, almost touching the wooden frame of his door and about to push it open before her conscious mind held her back. Her subconscious mind whispered to her to talk to him, even sitting by his side will do. She knows it can help her to quickly go back into a dreamless slumber.

Her rational thought shut all the suggestions down. Haku has enough problems on his plate to deal with. He doesn't need to add hers onto his mountain of mental problems. She's supposed to be the one supporting him, not weighing him down.

The fingers of her right hand curled inwards slightly at that thought as she let out a silent breath, her gaze travelling down slightly to look at her own feet. This is just some stupid nightmare. She closed her eyes to calm herself down. She can deal with this on her own. All she has to do is to walk one round around the small garden outside her bedroom to sort out her thoughts and she can quickly go back to sleep. Tried and tested method.

Another gust of wind blew from behind her back. It was so unexpected and unusually strong that it knocked her off her feet for a moment. Not enough to make her fall, but enough to trip her.

Enough for her to accidentally push open the door of his room and go stumbling into it.

Shit.

She didn't dare to move the moment she regained her balance in the next second. Haku's room is dark, only the area near her is slightly lit up thanks to the moonlight shining in from outside. Haku's bed is on the far side of the room away from the door. She squinted her eyes a little to adjust to the dim lighting of the room and saw that Haku's back was facing her. Her ears told her that his breathing is slow and steady, indicating that he is probably still asleep.

Good. Now to quietly, slowly, carefully exit his room without waking-

She nearly jumped in her skin when another gust of wind appeared out of nowhere and closed his doors shut with an audible bang, trapping her in his room.

Okay, once can be a coincidence, twice is not.

Her gaze turned away from the shut doors and locked onto Haku with a scowl on her face. Is he deriving joy from her suffering?

She walked up to his bed where he is currently sleeping, back facing her as he lay on his left side. She didn't bother to silence her footsteps this time. In fact, she made sure he heard it loud and clear.

This idiot was awake all along and couldn't be bothered to at least tell her earlier.

Her hands pushed against his back roughly.

"Oi, move in."

He grunted in annoyance, but moved in to make space for her anyway. She whipped the blanket away from him as she got into his bed before letting the blanket cover them both. Her arms gently wrapped around his waist as she pulled herself closer to him, hugging him from behind as she closed her eyes. She listened to his breathing, smelled his scent, feeling the slightly chilly temperature of his body as compared to her warmer one.

Yeah, she can fall asleep like this.

"Bad dream?"

Should have known than to keep it from him. Of course he would have somehow sensed that she had a nightmare even when they are a room away from each other.

"Yeah. Sorry to wake you up." She mumbled as she snuggled herself closer to him even though she is currently getting a face full of his hair. Huh, he's using the shampoo she got for him. She recognised that scent anywhere.

"Want to talk about it?"

"It's about that day that stupid Darui tried to kill me. It's stupid. I'm not even scared of him but somehow that moment becomes a bad dream."

"How long has this been going on?"

"It's fine."

"I don't think _this _is fine."

She is the one who grunted in annoyance this time, tightening her hold over him as she continues to hug him from behind. He usually wouldn't allow her to do something like this, but he is probably too groggy and sleepy to resist her right now. It's freaking 2.30 am.

"Just shut up and let me hug you to sleep."

She heard him huffed (or was it a snort?) but the temperature of the room dipped a degree or two, making it pleasantly cool for her. He didn't bother to argue with her logic and she heard his breathing go back to slow and steady, the rise and fall of his chest mimicking the rhythm of his breathing.

She didn't bother to hide the smile growing on her face, her eyes still closed. It's not like he can see her goofy grin right now anyway. He doesn't have eyes on the back of his head unlike her.

That night, her nightmares never returned again.

* * *

Training with her newfound power is hard.

"It's easy, Hanabi-chan! All you have to do is to think real hard and then it goes woosh! And BAM! One-tailed mode!"

It sucks that Naruto sucks at explaining anything. It doesn't matter if Naruto is the daughter of the Godaime Hokage. It's a wonder how she managed to become a shinobi understanding things like _that_.

"Yeah! That's the way! Just do it like how Naruto and I told you!"

Kushina isn't helping things. Woosh and bam? HOW?!

Her chakra levels had mostly stabilised. She managed to retrain her chakra control at a speed that blew everyone off their feet. She's Hyuga Hanabi, the master of chakra control (self-proclaimed). Such a thing won't stump her.

But how to go into one-tailed mode did. Calling upon Matatabi's flames like how she did when she marched into the Hokage Tower to find Haku was different. Those flames are but a very tiny portion of Matatabi's power, which came as a shock for her because **_that_**_ was a tiny portion of its power? _Just how strong is this one-tailed mode then?

According to Kushina, Matatabi's power should be a lot easier to harness and control because it only has two tails, unlike the Kyubi's nine. Controlling one tail worth of power is already akin to controlling half its power. However, right now, Hanabi couldn't even manifest the so-called chakra shroud that all jinchurikis are said to be able to do. Naruto had demonstrated what it is for her and Hanabi had observed the entire process with her byakugan. She knows in theory what is going on, but applying it to practice is a whole nother ball game.

The one and only order given to her by her Hokage is to learn how to control her newfound power as soon as possible. Kushina had been very frank with her and told her that it will be very difficult for her. Unlike Naruto, who had her whole life of twelve years thus far to slowly get used to this foreign chakra constantly moving around in her system, Hanabi didn't have this luxury. There is a reason why most people sealed the Tailed Beasts into young children, because it is easier for them to become the perfect jinchuuriki if that was done.

She only had been a host for Matatabi for weeks.

Ever since her chakra control went back to normal, she found herself spending most of her time everyday in a secret training ground hidden behind the Hokage Mountain with Kushina and Naruto. Haku is somewhere in the area as well doing his own training, she isn't really privy to what he is doing other than the fact it sometimes leaves him a defenseless and groaning mess whenever he is done with it. Kushina told her that those symptoms are the aftereffects of the training method that Minato had taught him, but it leaves Haku unable to do anything much the next day. Something about seals and the body needs to catch up with the mind and vice versa.

Hanabi let out a frustrated growl when she failed again to pull on Matatabi's chakra in a way that can manifest the chakra shroud. Just what is she doing wrong?

"It's fine, Hanabi. This thing takes time." Kushina gave her some encouraging words as she patted her on the shoulder. The other end of the training field is filled with Narutos, each doing a different type of training of their own by utilising the memory transfer properties of the Shadow Clone technique. Kushina had promised to teach her the Shadow Clone jutsu when she managed to successfully enter the one-tailed state.

"I don't have time." Hanabi growled as she kicked a nearby pebble to vent her frustration. It has been days and there is still no progress. She had never been stuck on something for so long before. Why now? Now is a critical period. She needs to master Matatabi's powers as soon as possible!

"Maybe we could try to loosen the seal a _little…_" Kushina pondered as she scratched her cheek with a finger. "Mind letting me see your seal?"

Hanabi rolled up her shirt, exposing her stomach. With a brief pulse of chakra, the seal appeared. Kushina's experienced eyes scrutinised the seal markings and the frown between her eyes got deeper and deeper until she finally asked a question.

"Do you have the key?"

"Key?" Hanabi asked perplexedly with a look of confusion. "What key?"

"Haku never told you?" It is now Kushina's turn to be surprised. "Huh, weird. Wait a moment while I go get him here."

It didn't take Kushina long to reappear with Haku by her side. He had said that he will be doing physical training today instead of whatever super secret Yellow Flash training method, so it didn't take him long to appear before her when Kushina brought him in.

"Alright, brat. If the key's not on her it's on you. Where did you hide the key?"

"I didn't hide it." Haku retorted as the fingers on his right palm lit up with a blue flare of chakra, seal markings appearing on his palm and travelling downwards his wrist until it went hidden from view thanks to the sleeves of his clothes. "I split it into two. Half is with me, the other half is with Hanabi. Precautionary measures."

"_What_ key?" Hanabi asked with her voice slightly higher than normal. "Can someone explain to me what is going on?"

"Use your byakugan and see how my chakra flows in my right hand. Do the same to your left."

She immediately did what he told her to and she immediately understood. She stuck out her left hand and called upon her chakra, willing it to flow in the same way his chakra did in his hand. The same weird seal markings appeared.

They now have matching wriggly symbols on both their hands. This is actually kind of fun.

"These are two halves of the key to unlock your seal. When the day comes when you want to claim the Nibi's power for your own, you will have to use it to unlock it fully. Right now, what we are doing is to loosen the seal a little. _Just a little_, okay? Just follow my lead and let me do the tweaking. Don't loosen it anymore than I allow you to."

She nodded in affirmation. Under Kushina's supervision, she watched as Haku's fingers came into contact with the seal inked on her stomach. She had to suppress her urge to giggle because the sensation of having his fingers on her stomach is a little ticklish. She put her left hand over his right to complete the key, and watched in fascination as the two seals merged and completed itself into one. He slowly twisted his right hand as if turning a doorknob, the drawings of the seal changing in response. She can see the transformation from the change in the swirl of the Eight Trigrams Seal, feel the rush of foreign chakra from her abdomen as it spread across her entire body.

"Hanabi, _focus_. Control it."

Kushina's words snapped her mind back to mission mode and she tried to mentally command the influx of power from Matatabi, closing her eyes in concentration. A brief scream escaped her mouth when there was a sudden assault of pain from allowing the corrosive chakra to fill her. This is different from the sensation of having Matatabi's flames protecting her. This is something else.

This is Matatabi's raw chakra.

"That's it, Hanabi. You are doing great! The shroud is forming. Control it! Will it to follow your command! Don't let it overpower your mind! It's all about willpower!"

Kushina's words temporarily cleared the feral haze that was slowly clouding her mind. This experience is painful. Naruto was right, no words can describe it when you are experiencing it for the first time. This chakra is corrosive.

But like _hell _she will let this stop her. She promised him that she will be his power. She has to harness Matatabi's power so that she can help him make this fucked up world a better place.

"I'm resealing it!"

"No, wait! She's slowly getting it under control!"

"Under _control?_ She's screaming in pain!"

She's in too much pain to even talk, but she managed to use her right hand to grab onto Haku's wrist, preventing him from tightening the seal.

She can do this.

"RRRAAARRRGGHH!"

She felt the built-up chakra exploding outwards as she screamed. She felt her nails elongating and her canines sharpening. She felt her bloodlust skyrocketing and the instinctive call for her to get onto all fours like a cat, but she fought against it and tried to clamp it down. Kushina had told her early on that controlling the power of a Tailed Beast is all about the battle of willpower. The one with a stronger conviction will win.

No way she is losing in a battle of conviction against a sleeping cat.

**_ 'I've awakened the moment you chose to loosen my seal, nya. Quite bold of you to do so.'_**

Ah crap.

She felt Haku's hand moved and twisted the seal back into its original position. There was a mental click and the surge of chakra is suddenly gone. Her transformation receded. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit her and she simply fell forward, unable to do anything other than to fall. She barely registered a pair of arms catching her.

"Hanabi! Hanabi!"

"...am… fine." She slurred out before Haku started to panic over her. The last thing she needs is for him to summon the winter in Konoha simply because he freaked out.

"This is normal for a first try." She heard Kushina's voice in the background. "I'm actually impressed that she actually got to form a tail the very first time we attempted this, even if it only lasted for a second."

Only **_one _**second? All that tortuous experience and she only managed to maintain the proper one-tailed shroud for only _one_ second?!

Damn it. Nothing's ever easy.

"That was so cool 'ttebayo! Better than when I first tried it!"

"Alright, Naruto. You've seen enough. Go back to your training, the whole lot of you!"

There was a cacophony of 'Kaa-chan!' from the horde of Narutos.

"Hanabi probably wouldn't be able to continue training for the rest of the day. We will just have to continue tomorrow. Let her rest. A few hours of good sleep will do the trick."

She's too tired to even acknowledge Kushina's words or even open her eyes. Is this the price to pay in trying to even access Matatabi's powers? How did Yugito survive going full cat-mode? Using this power for a few seconds already made her feel like shit.

**_'Fufufu… Not too bad, but you still have a long way to go to earn my acknowledgement, Hanabi-chan.'_**

_'Yes, laugh. Laugh some more. Laugh all you want. Just you wait. I'll beat you someday.'_

**_'When you are an old hag? Sure, nya. You know, I expected better from you since you are a descendant of Hamura. Among all of his descendants that I've met in recent years, his blood runs thickest in you.'_**

Hamura? Come to think about it, Matatabi mentioned this person too in their very first encounter.

_'Who is Hamura?'_

**_'YOU are asking me who is Hamura? Gosh, I can't believe this, nya! How can you not know your own ancestor?! Blasphemy, nya! How can YOU not know who Hamura oji-san is, nya!'_**

Only one thought ran through her mind when she heard that.

_'Just how old are you for you to have met my ancestor?'_

**_'I'll not answer that question! It's rude to ask a lady her age, nya!'_**

_'You are a lady? I didn't know tailed beasts have genders.'_

**_'We don't, but I'm a lady at heart, nya! Wake me up again when you finally have some progress in trying to control my power or have something interesting to share. As of now, you are weaker than a puny mouse.'_**

_'That's it? You are just going to go back to sleep? At least tell me who this Hamura really is- Matatabi? Hey, Matatabi?'_

There was no response. The lazy cat really had gone back to sleep.

She opened her eyes again when she felt movement, just in time to see Haku laying her on her bed. Wait, when had she gotten back to her bedroom? Weren't they at the Hokage Monument just a moment ago? All she did was to close her eyes for a short moment!

"You alright? Need me to call a doctor here?"

She shook her head, still too tired to form a verbal response. He carefully covered her with a blanket and was about to exit her room, but she held onto his sleeve with a hand, not letting him go.

She doesn't want to sleep, not when her nightmares from that day are still haunting her whenever she closes her eyes.

"Hanabi?"

The plea in her eyes must have been obvious. Either that, or he simply understands her very well.

He got back to her side and held her hand in his as he sat by the edge of her bed.

"I'm going to be here the whole time, okay? You are not going to get any nightmares. Just concentrate on going to sleep and get some rest."

With some difficulty thanks to the exhaustion she is currently experiencing, she used her hand to pat the empty spot on her bed beside her. She doesn't want him to just hold her hand. She wants him to be beside her where she can hug him. Only then will the nightmares disappear.

"Fine, just this once."

She mentally did a smug victory sign in her head when he lay down beside her. She wasted no time hugging and snuggling close to him as she closed her eyes and let the exhaustion take her to sleep. Like this, the nightmares cannot appear in her dreams. Like this, she can sleep in peace.

Like this, she can at least pretend that they are both alright.

* * *

"Remind me again why I'm stuck with you?"

"Because we can't do anything else 'ttebayo! Kaa-chan took Haku-nii away so you have to keep me company!"

Hanabi facepalmed in resignation. Due to their jinchuriki statuses, she and Naruto are being watched 24/7 and not allowed to go anywhere out of sight of their hidden ANBU guards. She is sure that she can easily spot a few ANBU guards around the area if she turned on her byakugan right now. Both of them will also not be able to go for missions or even team training during this period because their priority is to control their unique power, which is an extremely time consuming event by itself. She knows that Sai is now temporarily a part of Team 7 in replacement of Naruto since she and Haku are both not available for regular duty.

From the few meetups they have with the artist and what she knows from her sister, what her friends are doing right now are support work. Menial things like deliveries or fixing broken areas from the invasion while doing their own training in their spare time. Their Hokage is still reluctant to send genins out for war at this period because it will only add to the death toll if war breaks out.

Since Haku is one of the rare breeds who is actually proficient in the sealing arts, he was immediately snatched away by Kushina and introduced to the Barrier Team which she is a part of. Haku is now one of Kumo's high priority targets, but unlike fellow S Rank threats like their Obito-sensei or Hatake Kakashi, their Hokage feels that he is still too young and inexperienced to deal with constant threats on his life out in the field where the two are currently sent to. This is not even considering his recent mental breakdown yet.

In her opinion, it is for the best that Haku doesn't get involved in anything combat-related for now, but she knows it is just a matter of time before he got called upon to go to the frontlines. He is simply too powerful and valuable as a shinobi to be stuck in the village.

There is tension in the air but everyone still goes about their daily businesses, trying to act as normal as possible. Her father and uncle are now always busy and she didn't get to see them often. Most of her shinobi clansmen have been drafted into various divisions and teams in preparation for war, leaving the clan compound relatively empty. She could train till she drops to pass the time but she also knows the importance of doing things in moderation. It's too boring to be all by herself at home, so she decided to find the only other person who, like her, is not busy at the moment.

Leaving her with the hyperactive Naruto.

"This is disgusting." Hanabi had to suppress her urge to puke or spat at her fellow jinchuriki as she dug through the pile. "How long have _this _been sitting here?"

"Ehehehe…" Naruto has the cheek to give her a sheepish and apologetic grin while scratching the back of her head with a hand. "About two months…?"

"And you didn't bother to wash your stuff for TWO MONTHS?!" Hanabi threw the offending backpack at Naruto, who wisely dodged out of the way. "Everything in here stinks!"

Clothes, weapons, tools. Anything in Naruto's backpack stinks so badly because the idiot simply left it at a corner of her bedroom without even thinking about washing it the first thing she returned back from her last long-term mission _two months_ ago.

"I forgot all about it 'ttebayo!"

"FORGOT?!"

"Everything's kept in sealing scrolls so it didn't smell! My bag's also lined with tou-chan's seals to keep the smell from leaking out so I didn't smell it until you reminded me about it today and then I remembered that there are things that I forgot to let Kaa-chan wash and-"

"Alright, fine. I get it." Hanabi cut Naruto off, eyeing the stinky smelly sweaty orange clothes with clear disdain. There are various kunais coated with dried blood among other things as well. Gosh, how did Naruto sleep in her own room for so long without doing anything about the backpack right at the corner of her room? It's just right _there!_

"Help me wash it? Please?"

"You don't _know _how to wash your own clothes? Really? _Are you kidding me?_ Even **_I_** know how to wash my clothes, and I am supposed to be the spoiled princess!"

"I always did such a bad job at washing the laundry that Kaa-chan barred me from even using the washing machine 'ttebayo!"

"_How_ can anyone be bad at using the washing machine? All you have to do is to press the buttons! What did you do?"

"The last time I touched one, it died."

Somehow, Hanabi couldn't find it in herself to doubt Naruto's ridiculous words. Anything is possible with her.

"You bring your clothes with you. I'm not touching that." Hanabi pointed to the pile of stinky rags_ (she refused to call them clothes until they smell like flowers)_ and promptly walked out of Naruto's bedroom. Her ears may be wrong, but she might have heard some quiet snickering from somewhere during her entire conversation with Naruto. Their ANBU guards are probably laughing at her plight, or maybe at Naruto's inability to do a simple chore like washing clothes.

"No, we are not dumping it into the washing machine yet." She stopped Naruto before she messed up the entire machine. "We are going to handwash your clothes first before dumping it in."

"Huh, why?!"

"Do you even _see _how **_dirty _**your clothes are?! Do you want to clog up the entire machine with all the lumps of mud and dirt still stuck on it?!" Hanabi had to control her urge to scream at the dense blonde knucklehead. She heard the snickers this time, loud and clear. Their ANBU guards are _definitely _taking great joy in her suffering.

She pointed at the dirty pile of laundry in Naruto's arms. They are covered in all shades of green, black, brown, and who-knows-what colours that she cannot and don't want to identify. She is trying very hard to not even breathe within its immediate vicinity because _god_, it smells so damn **_awful_**.

"You are going to scrub out all the dirtiest things out of your clothes first, _then _we are putting it into the washing machine to get it clean. You with me?"

They managed to find some empty buckets and promptly filled it up with water. She cannot believe that she actually has to physically _demonstrate _to Naruto how to hand wash her clothes. She nearly had a heart attack when Naruto nearly dumped the whole container of powder detergent into her bucket until she stopped her in time. She blanched when the clear water in the buckets immediately turned into a murky shade of an _unrecognisable _colour the moment Naruto's clothes were dumped into it. She lost count on the number of times they had to change the water after each wash. She screamed into the sky when Naruto tried to scrub the unspeakables out with her hands faster by using chakra, only to rip her clothes in the process. She heaved a sigh of relief when the colour of water in the bucket is clear enough for her to deem okay to finally dump the clothes into the washing machine for the final wash.

How did Naruto's house not go up in flames yet?!

She spent a total of an agonising one hour and thirteen minutes _(yes, she counted) _supervising Naruto and her equally trouble prone shadow clones. She considered it an achievement when she got them to dump the surviving articles of clothes which are now fit for being properly washed by the washing machine into said machine. She hasn't got to the point where she tries to strangle Naruto yet, so at least something went right.

There. Now it's done.

Getting Naruto to wash her backpack properly was a lot easier now that Naruto has some experience in handwashing things. They then ended up spending the rest of the time waiting for the washing machine to be done with the laundry by maintaining Naruto's weapons, sharpening and oiling it. Anything too worn out to be used were placed in a separate pile to be discarded or recycled.

It was when Hanabi finally reached the point where they can now hang the laundry out to dry in the sun, just right outside at the backyard of Naruto's house, did she realise that she never felt so mentally exhausted before in trying to teach someone a_ basic life skill_.

"Woohoo! I finally learnt how to do my laundry! Thanks Hanabi-chan!"

"Don't mention it." She grumbled under her breath. Kushina and Minato better give her an award or something for teaching their daughter something which they failed to teach her for the past twelve years of her life. She can see why Kushina ended up not letting Naruto do any laundry if her experiences with trying to teach Naruto is any indication.

Maybe it's a blessing that Naruto does not have the same love for seals as they do. Who knows what Naruto will blow up if that were the case?

"If you guys are done laughing, you can help us take this pile of scrap metal to be recycled." Hanabi glared at the tree to her right where she knows an ANBU member is hiding. She and Naruto are only allowed to visit certain places of the village right now thanks to their jinchuriki status and the current state outside the village. They cannot wander off to anywhere they like because the chances of assassinations attempts done on them is now at an all time high. It is for their own safety. The recycling factory where shinobis dump their discarded ninja tools is not in the designated area where she and Naruto can visit right now.

An ANBU with a crow mask shimmered into view in front of them and Hanabi narrowed her eyes.

"I've seen you somewhere before, haven't I?"

"Oh, it's Itachi-nii!" Naruto exclaimed. "Hi!"

"I will neither confirm nor deny your claims, Naruto-san." The ANBU replied in a monotonous and garbled voice, probably an effect of donning that animal mask. "Please call me Crow as per my designated identity instead of saying your speculations out loud in public."

"Sorry Ita-_ I mean Crow-san!_" Naruto replied, still waving her hands happily. Hanabi tried to peer beyond the mask with her byakugan, only to find that she couldn't.

"There are seals placed in the masks such that even the byakugan cannot see through it." As if sensing her inner thoughts, Crow replied as he sealed the discarded ninja tools into a blank scroll. "Among many other things."

"Am I your charge? Or is it Naruto?"

"I'm afraid the ANBU tasked with your protection is Bird's team. Protecting Naruto is the responsibility of my team." Crow replied as he stood back up to his full height after pocketing the scroll. "Although I have to admit it makes our jobs easy for both our teams whenever you two spend your time together. That is all I am allowed to divulge."

"And Haku?"

"Bird's team is also ordered to keep an eye on him, but he does not need any protection." Crow replied dutifully. "Haku-san's sensory range is way larger than any ANBU from our teams, so he would sense any threats to his person even before we could. There's no point in trying to protect him. In fact, we agree that you are at your safest if he is around you."

Haku has a larger sensory range than any of the ANBU guards that is currently protecting them? Since when? Since when did he become a sensor nin? How did he even do that? It's something about controlling the surrounding water vapour, isn't it? Didn't he admit that he is only passable at that kind of unorthodox sensing during the end of the second stage of the Chunin Exams? How did he make such a drastic improvement?

Crow faded from view after saying his piece.

"I need to learn how to do that someday 'ttebayo! That is too cool to not learn!"

"Give it up. I'm pretty sure what Crow did was a form of genjutsu. You are hopeless at genjutsu."

"Hanabi-chan~"

"And no, I don't know how Crow did that. Don't bother asking."

"Actually, I was asking if you can teach me how to cook. Kaa-chan never let me cook anything that is not instant ramen!"

Hanabi can actually feel the blood draining from her face upon hearing that question. The sniggers from around them actually became clearly audible. Damn ANBU guards and their sadistic sense of humour.

"No."

"Pleas-"

**_"No."_**

"Then what about teaching me how to sweep the floor and stuff like that? I want to surprise tou-chan and kaa-chan!"

Hanabi took a while to ponder about Naruto's request. Sweeping a floor is easy work. It couldn't be too hard even for an idiot like Naruto. Surely she would have learnt a thing or two from all the D Rank missions they had been on?

Besides, she is currently bored out of her mind since Kushina forced them to take a break from training today.

"Alright. Why not?"


	22. Chapter 22- I'm Proud of You

"And why are we using a three-point seal for this particular portion of the seal array right here?"

"Because a three-point seal allows us to add more variety into the seal design, so that we can quickly change the formula if we need to."

"Correct." My godmother affirmed my suspicions as her finger pointed to another part of the huge complicated seal array that we are looking at. "And why do we make it so that it can be passed through instead of a tangible one that blocks passage in and out of Konoha?"

"It would be too chakra costly to maintain a tangible barrier at all times."

The questions keep coming and I find myself having to answer them as quickly as possible. If I took more than five seconds to come up with an answer I will find a rolled-up piece of paper smacking the top of my head.

Ino's father, Yamanaka Inoichi, is now my psychiatrist and he had labelled me as unfit for duty after my recent mental breakdown. I am not to go for any missions or partake in any shinobi work until he has cleared me of my mental health, so now I am stuck in the village along with Hanabi and Naruto and nothing to do. There are a lot of things that I am not allowed to do when he tagged me with such a label, which makes my life pretty dull even if I know he has my best interests in mind.

My godmother decided to use this chance to introduce me to Konoha Barrier Team, the ones in charge of maintaining the invisible detection barrier surrounding Konoha. With this arrangement, I can learn something new and interesting while still heeding Inoichi's advice. After we are done here, we will be visiting the T&I next.

Kushina is an important member of the Barrier Team since she is a Seal Master, charged with the duties of maintaining and updating the complicated seal array left behind by Uzumaki Mito. My time here at the Barrier Team has been pleasant so far since the types of barrier seals I have encountered here are interesting to understand and learn. I do not have any real specialisation in the area of seals just yet, but barrier seals doesn't sound like a bad idea to venture into.

"Old perv Jiraiya actually invented a jutsu that is a smaller version of the detection barrier we use." Kushina's words caught my attention as she clapped her hands once. The slight fluctuation of chakra from her told me that she had activated the barrier jutsu around her, whatever it is. "It is called Barrier: Canopy Method Formation. Quite useful if you are trying to seek out an invisible enemy and relatively easy to learn if you have enough knowledge on the sealing arts."

"If you put in more chakra, the detection range will simply expand, right?"

"Yup." Kushina nodded as I practiced what she just taught me. The sealing array is actually just a very basic detection barrier seal. What is complicated is how the complex detection seal that initially needed an entire team to set up and maintain got simplified into a jutsu that allows it to be feasible enough to be now used by a single person on a smaller scale.

It's a stroke of genius on Jiraiya's part, really. All he did was to tweak the sealing designs on a few parts of the seal and it's done. It's something that seems really obvious in hindsight, but you probably will never notice until somebody points it out. The sealing array of Canopy Method Formation is etched and drawn somewhere on an object that you bring around with you and can be easily activated with any kind of command you specified.

For my godmother, that command is when certain specific events are met so that she wouldn't activate it by accident. Firstly, she has to clap her hand together once. Secondly, she has to be wearing her gloves where the seals are etched on while doing the first process. Thirdly, she has to let her chakra flow in a very specific way. The three specific processes done in quick succession is the trigger to activate it.

"What if we take out this part of the design instead and change it to…" I quickly copied the seal design of the Canopy Method Formation onto a blank scroll and added my own alteration. Damn it, it is taking _forever _to copy a single seal by hand. Something needs to be done about it, it's too slow and inefficient. Somebody should really go and invent a seal that allows one to quickly copy other seals or lines of texts from one scroll to another. Something that works like a photocopier. Things would be so much more efficient that way. Imagine the time you can cut on all the paperwork. Life would be so much simpler.

Maybe I should look into the possibility of designing such a seal in my free time.

Despite my inner grumbling, I still managed to finish copying the seal design with my own personal touch on it.

"Like this, instead of increasing the range when more chakra is added, it would make the barrier tangible instead while still keeping its detection properties. I don't know if the Canopy Method Formation would still be feasible for the ordinary shinobi because the amount of chakra now needed will probably be much higher in order to maintain its physical form, but for chakra juggernauts like you or Naruto, that wouldn't be an issue."

"Not bad." My godmother placed her hand on the top of my hand and ruffled my hair despite the scowl on my face for her doing so. I really hate it when she and my godfather do it to purposely mess my hair up. "You pass."

"I know that you are a combat shinobi, but consider joining the Barrier Team as a possible career choice, okay?" Kakoi, a member of the Detection Division of the Barrier Team, said from the side as he inspected my seal work. I've been acquainted with most of the members of the Barrier Team during my short time here since it's not everyday they will meet a possible new colleague joining their team. They are all curious about me. The Barrier Team isn't very big either. Knowledge in the sealing arts is a compulsory criteria for an applicant to even be considered for a position here, and the job here isn't exactly exciting. Not many shinobis will really want to join the Barrier Team permanently. Hence, the low application rate.

"He's good, Kushina-sama." Kotetsu laughed from his table alongside Izumo while completing some paperwork. Guess it makes sense for the eternal gate guards to be a part of the Barrier Team as well. "Been a while since we saw a genin taking an interest in us."

"And this _genin _can still kick your ass on any other day." Izumo jabbed at Kotetsu's ribs with his elbow, who recoiled with an audible 'oof'. "Didn't you see how he took out the invading forces with all that ice and snow?"

"Oh yeah, saved my ass back there. The snow fell just in time." Hora, a member from the Interception Division, chipped in. "Pretty yet deadly. I like it."

"Of course Haku's good. I trained him." My godmother swelled in visible pride as she made her reply. Glad to know that I am the reason she now has something to brag about.

_"Please join us."_ Uehara, another member of the Barrier Team said as he put his palms together in a gesture of prayer. "So that there will be someone else that can help us deal with this paperwork hell."

"Dude, now he's not going to join us with what you just said. Why tell him that?"

"Honesty's a good virtue to have." Uehara said dramatically that earned him a few laughs from his colleagues. "Besides, he can already see for himself what we really do here in the Detection Division. _Reports after reports. _The only time our reports get interesting is that if there is something that our barriers detected and that means something really bad is going to happen in the next minute."

Everybody conveniently made a point to not mention the recent invasion. The atmosphere outside is bad enough as it is.

"That's _why _you join the Interception Division." Kotetsu emphasised as he said that to me. "Our routine jobs are more interesting."

"Yeah, like _guarding the gates._" Uehara rolled his eyes.

"We get to play cards during our free time. The Detection Division has _no _free time." Izumo added, ignoring the earlier jab from Uehara. "Perks of being an eternal gate guard."

"You also get to see all the pretty ladies walking in and out of the village without being viewed as a perv."

"Aye, another good perk. If you are lucky enough you can feel them while doing a body search. Imagine feeling those boobies-"

"Oi, asshats, don't teach my son the wrong things." Kushina admonished her subordinates as she painfully whacked them on the top of their heads. "The _correct _procedure when searching a female in this type of situation is to call for a female shinobi to do the search."

"Kushina-sama, we can always henge ourselves into-"

The whacking ensued.

"If you like something more… _intellectual_." Kakoi used this opportunity to sway me to his division while my godmother is busy getting her subordinates in line. "If you enjoy dealing with complex seals everyday like we do, then the Detection Division is for you. Leave the physical work to the _barbarians _from the Interception Division. The Detection Division is where the truly wise will be found."

I find this entire affair to be highly amusing.

"Alright, we have places to be, seals to inspect, and people to meet." Kushina dragged me along with her as we made our exit. "Send me a runner if there's an emergency. Otherwise, proceed as normal. You guys know the drill."

"Yes, Kushina-sama!"

We went to the T&I next, whose base of operations is shared with the Intelligence Division. Almost every building that houses an important division in Konoha is riddled with seals, but T&I takes it to an even higher level due to the nature of the things they deal with. There are seals to keep people out, but most of them are mainly designed to keep people in. The types of seals used to restrain highly dangerous prisoners are extremely complex too. The easiest way to destroy those seals would be to burn the seals out with a huge amount of chakra, but not everyone has that type of resource at their disposal. Such people are rare to come by.

Meeting Team 7 here was a surprise. The Team 7 with Sai in replacement of Naruto. Asuma, Kakashi, Obito, and even Guy had been sent to the frontlines. Kurenai is now in charge of coaching the entire Rookie 15, minus me, Hanabi, and Naruto due to our circumstances.

"We aren't allowed to leave the village and Kurenai-sensei wants us to learn as much as possible right now. It doesn't matter what it is as long as we learn something. Ino's father offered us the chance to come here to learn and practice advanced interrogation methods." Sasuke explained as the four of us sat in the T&I lounge while my godmother went on her routine inspection of the highly complex seals in this building whose seal designs are classified. I don't know what kind of seals those are to be considered even more important than the Detection Barrier Seal, but I know that I don't have the clearance needed to take a look at it due to how important they are to Konoha.

"Duck Ass's sharingan is a cheat." Sai accused. "He doesn't have to do anything to get people to talk. Ugly's face is also another cheat because she simply scares the information out of anyone who sees her face."

Sai ducked just right in time before Sakura's fist soared to where his head once was. I have a feeling this is a regular occurrence for them by now.

"You just suck at interrogation." Sakura growled when Sai took to hiding behind my back with that fake smile still on his face, forcing Sakura to drop her pursuit if she doesn't want to demolish the entire T&I with her monstrous strength.

"I'm not _bad _at interrogation. I followed every single step as stated in the book."

"And that's why you suck at it. They are merely guidelines, not ironclad rules. You have to make your own adjustments." Sasuke sighed before turning to face me. "How did you and Hanabi manage to deal with this social idiot?"

"We don't." I replied. "We either let him be or tell him to shut up."

"Girly-kun, I'm hurt."

"Shut up, Sai. It's not like you can feel that kind of emotion anyway."

"Ah, I see that my skills at lying still need some work."

"How would _you _go about interrogating someone though?" Sakura asked me with a curious look on her face. "By freezing them slowly?"

"That is an option." I mused. "I have another idea in mind but I never tried it out before. The most I did was to discuss the possibility of its creation with my godfather once."

"Seals?" Sasuke questioned and I nodded in response. Oh well, might as well get to working the seal array out while we are stuck waiting here. I had planned out the majority of the design of the seal array even before the Chunin Exams. Its initial design wasn't meant to be used for torture. The seal array was a personal project simply for the fun of it, I wasn't expecting it to be of any great use until I discussed my idea with my godfather during the training trip. What's left to complete the seal array is smoothening the details and that wouldn't take me long.

I took out the largest blank scroll I have with me right now and rolled it out across the table in front of us, ignoring Team 7 crowding behind me.

"Sai. Ink and brush, please."

Time to get to work.

* * *

In all his years as an interrogator, Morino Ibiki had never once seen anybody proposing the idea of torturing the information out of anyone using _seals_.

"Eh, why not let Haku have a go? It's not like we are running out of prisoners to use as lab rats anytime soon. The recent invasion and all that."

Ibiki eyed Kushina before turning his gaze back to the Yuki boy, the one whose deeds are currently shrouded with heated debate and controversy among the shinobi populace for turning the Hyuga girl into a jinchuriki in his desperate gamble to save her life. Ibiki has his own personal opinions about the entire affair but he is a professional shinobi first and foremost. His job is not to judge, but to get the facts right.

"Kumo or Oto?"

"Kumo." The boy answered straightaway. His choice is not surprising given what he knew about the boy's history.

Ibiki turned around and walked at the front, leading the group of five behind him. He stopped by an interrogation chamber that currently houses a captured Kumo shinobi waiting to be interrogated.

"We will be watching from the observation room."

The Yuki boy nodded once in acknowledgement before casually strolling through the door that leads to the interrogation chamber. The last time he saw anybody sporting that kind of look before going in for an interrogation, it was Orochimaru.

Should he be worried?

He turned up the volume of the speakers in the observation room a little so that he, Team 7, and Kushina can all hear clearly what is going on within the chamber while they watched the interrogation through the one-way tinted glass pane. Right in the interrogation chamber is a Kumo shinobi which they had captured prisoner during the invasion, now chained down onto a chair in the middle of the room.

_"Why the fuck they send a child this time? The old man could not do it himself?"_

_"If it is Morino-san you are talking about, I believe he is not even in his thirties yet. He's not exactly all that old. The scars on his face can be very misleading." _The Yuki boy hummed a happy tune under his breath as he slapped seals of his own design on the Kumo's shinobi forehead, torso, and limbs.

Ibiki mentally went through the information he knew about this Kumo shinobi. Prisoner #K052, Edano Kazuko. Special Jonin of Kumogakure. Specialises in the Lightning Release and Kenjutsu. A shinobi of his rank would definitely have information which will be useful to Konoha. They would send a Yamanaka to invade his mind, but manpower is currently short in every division due to preparation for a possible war. T&I doesn't have many Yamanaka clan members right now because of that. There are only so many minds the Yamanakas in the T&I can go through before they exhaust themselves. Most of the interrogations are still done in the traditional way in this trying time.

_"Comfortable?" _The Yuki boy questioned a little too cheerfully.

_"Fuck you. You won't get anything out of me."_

The Yuki boy didn't bother answering, but merely pulled over a chair for him to sit on while dragging a table and placed it in front of him. With practiced ease, he rolled open a scroll across the table with an extremely complex seal array inked on it. That seal array is something that Ibiki had never seen before.

"Kushina-sama. If I may ask, what kind of seal is that?"

"I don't know." Kushina admitted. "I can't see too clearly from here, but from first glance I think the base design is based on the basic suppression seal we have in the T&I. With heavy modification."

_"Edano-san, is it?"_ The Yuki boy took a quick look at the clipboard in his hand to double check the prisoner's identity, the same one that Ibiki gave to the boy earlier. _"Not like your name matters. You Kumo shinobis are all equally detestable. By the way, have you ever heard of computers?"_

Ibiki frowned a little. The current computers Konoha has are not only highly expensive, they are all big, bulky, and come with too many wires to be efficient. They are also locked up in the most secure vault they have due to its cost and these complex machines are only taken out to be used when necessary.

The Kumo shinobi didn't bother to reply.

_"Don't feel like talking? It's fine. I am also not a big fan of talking."_ Haku continued to hum his awfully cheery tune as he began the one-sided conversation. _"Do you know how **fascinating** it is to control what a computer does simply by pressing a few keys and moving a mouse? Do you know what it means if I say that you are now the computer and right in front of me right now is the keyboard and mouse that controls you?"_

Everyone's gaze zoomed in on the scroll laid out on the table in front of Haku.

_"Let's see."_ Haku stroked his chin in thought, _still _humming that cheery tune as he slowly looked over the complex seal array inked on the scroll in front of him as if he is window shopping. "_If I programmed it right, pressing the array here would mean-"_

**_"ARRRGGGHHH!"_**

_"Oh sorry! I'm so very sorry!"_ The Yuki boy said in such a sincere tone that even Ibiki would have taken it as a sincere apology if it wasn't for the scene in front of him. _"I pressed the wrong one. How about this?"_

Prisoner #K052 visibly relaxed after Haku pressed another area of the sealing array on the scroll in front of him.

Now that Ibiki has a clearer picture of the entire context, he realises that a big part of the complex seal has some semblance to a computer keyboard. Those must be the "buttons" that the Yuki boy will be testing out by pressing on them one by one.

There are also a lot of those buttons to press. Good luck to the Kumo prisoner.

"Wow. That's a whole different type of scary." Sakura commented, obviously realising the same things he did about the scroll's function.

"Girly-kun is going to be brutal, I just know it. Tobi-sensei would be proud."

"Shh." Sasuke shushed his teammates up. "Just keep quiet and watch."

_"I've never been a fan of physical torture, you know that? Too messy. I hate washing out all the blood and I never liked scars."_ Haku rolled up the sleeves on his right, revealing the scars littering his arm for the prisoner to see. _"See this? One of your fellow Kumo shinobi did this to me when I was only five. Thanks to him, I started to hate scars and blood. You have him to thank because that experience became an inspiration for me to design this torture method. No blood, no wound, no mess. Pretty neat, isn't it? I'm rather proud of my invention."_

_"You are... fucking **sick **in the head."_ Prisoner #K052 spat between heavy breaths, still recovering from whatever made him scream in pain earlier.

_"Not going to deny that." _The Yuki boy nodded along. _"But hey, aren't you curious about what this whole sealing array can do? It took me **years **to come up with something workable, you know that? Someone needs to show some appreciation for the amount of effort I put into it. The first button I pressed gives you pain. The second gives you pleasure and makes you relax. Do you know how you even felt those sensations? Aren't you **curious?**"_

Another brief period of silence continued.

_"Don't know? It's fine. I don't mind explaining. I have all the time today to test this out." _The Yuki boy's finger idly traced the complex seal array while saying so. _"Everything a person can feel and experience is determined by the brain. Pain, pleasure, sadness, happiness, etcetera. If you want to be very technical, everything you know isn't real. Everything you know and feel is simply what your brain interprets for you. Silk feels smooth to the touch because your skin sends a signal to the brain which the brain interprets the sensation as 'smooth'. Hot water scalds your tongue because your tongue sends a signal to the brain and your brain interprets it as 'hot'. Any images we perceive with our eyes is the result of our brain interpreting the refracted light entering our eyes. Do you know that our eyes actually perceive any images as upside down when the light shines on our retina? We only see things upright as they are because our brain inverts it back for us. Do you get what I'm trying to explain?"_

From the slight widening of Prisoner #K052's eyes, Ibiki knew he got it.

_"What if my seals can hijack, send, and control such signals? If everything we see, hear, touch, taste, and feel are merely results of what our brain interprets, what if my seals can control what our brain is interpreting?"_

The ice user slowly walked up before leaning down to talk to Prisoner #K052 in a mock whisper next to his ear.

_"Your reality will **change**, Edano-san. With the sealing tags I placed on you and with this seal array in my hands, I can control your reality because I can now control your brain's interpretation of reality. If I say your left is right, it will be right. If I say an hour had passed even if it has only been ten minutes, you can only take my word for it because you won't be able to tell what is real anymore, because whatever I do to you is now your reality and your brain can no longer distinguish the real from the fake. From this day onwards, you will be continuously living with the thought if what you are perceiving is real after I'm done with you. You would never know when your interrogation had ended, or if it had ever ended at all because even your perception of time can no longer be trusted. None of your five senses can be trusted from this very moment. You cannot break out of it like how you did with genjutsu because it is not genjutsu. You would **wish **that Morino-san was your interrogator instead. You would **wish **that you had died the moment your village had the audacity to invade Konoha. You would **wish **that you had never been born as a Kumo shinobi. You would **wish **that you never made an enemy out of **me**."_

The boy rose back up to his full height and waved a playful finger at Prisoner #K052.

_"You think I'm here to **interrogate **you? No, no, that's **wrong**. Just between you and I, keep this a secret from Morino-san, okay? But I'm actually taking advantage of this opportunity to test out my new seal. Interrogation is something I would do only when I'm done with my experiment and collect the results I need. Now, sit back and try to relax, okay? I don't want you to feel too scared about this groundbreaking seal array I invented. I cannot have my valuable test subject ruin this rare chance for me by being too anxious and skewing the results because of that. Oh wait, I can always make your brain convince you that you are happy right now to take away that anxiousness. Silly me!"_

The Yuki boy- no, _Yuki Haku- _cheerfully made his way back to his desk.

_"You are a monster."_

_"You have your beloved Raikage to thank for that. He created this monster."_ Haku gave Prisoner #K052 a smile that reminded Ibiki too much of the deceased Snake Sanin.

A monster. That's what Yuki Haku is right now.

_"Now, let's begin, shall we?"_

* * *

"Haku. Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Haku gave Sakura a look that shows his confusion while passing over the answers of the interrogation that is written on the clipboard over to Ibiki. "Everything went well."

"What Ugly meant is that your villain act was so convincing that we all thought you went bonkers."

"That seal of yours made me _fear _Fuinjutsu." Sasuke deadpanned. "I'm never going to take any Fuinjutsu user lightly ever again if I see them."

"Then fear me." Haku scoffed.

Ibiki let a sadistic grin show on his face as he skimmed through the answers written on the clipboard. He had already heard most of it from the observation room while Haku was doing the interrogation, but seeing it written down on paper gives him a greater sense of satisfaction. Some parts of the information Haku grilled out of the prisoner may prove to be vital in their war preparation efforts. That complicated sealing array Haku used even had a seal that sense 'intent', making it hard for Prisoner #K052 to get out of his predicament with a lie. In some ways, that 'intent' seal is even better than the lie detector the T&I uses.

At this juncture, there's only one question that he needs to ask Haku.

"What do I need to do to convince you to give me those seals and that seal array?"

"If your Hokage allows you to use it and after I made some more adjustments. This thing is too dangerous to leave even a single copy lying around. I'm definitely inserting a self-destruct seal on it just in case."

"I can see that most of your seals are based on other seals as their template. You are only passable in creating seals from scratch, but your skills in modifying existing seals is something else. Good job!" Kushina gave her godson a heavy pat on the back that nearly sent him stumbling on his feet. "This is a piece of work! How did you even get the idea of modifying a detection seal into one that sense intent?"

"Didn't you say that the Kyubi has the ability to sense negative intent? I worked on it based on that idea." Haku said as he pocketed his seals into his weapon pouch. "Are we done here?"

"Yes, you are." Ibiki replied as he turned to make his leave after bidding the First Lady of Konoha farewell, but not before dropping his final words to Yuki Haku.

"If you ever decide to pursue a career in T&I, drop me a note and I will personally make sure that you get in. I will even push forward a promotion to get you to Special Jonin as incentive." Ibiki found himself saying as he turned around the corner.

He let out a smirk when he heard Haruno Sakura yelling "Did the_ Morino Ibiki_ just tried to **_recruit _**you?!" just one second after he disappeared within the bowels of T&I.

The rumours about the ice boy be damned. Yuki Haku is a born interrogator alright.

* * *

"Impossible."

"What's impossible?" I asked Kushina in confusion. We had just returned from the T&I and the moment she opened the door to her house, my godmother just kept muttering "impossible" over and over again.

Everything looks fine. Everything is clean and arranged neatly. What's wrong?

"NARUTO!"

"Coming!"

My self-proclaimed sister bounced down the stairs the moment Kushina hollered for her, with Naruto looking very pleased at herself for some reason.

"You did the chores."

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded her head rapidly with her hands behind her back, looking like a child waiting for her mother to praise her for a job well done.

"You swept the floor."

"Mopped it too. Spick and span."

"You dusted the shelves."

"I made sure to leave the library alone like you said 'ttebayo! Volatile seals and all that. Ask Hanabi-chan if you don't believe me!"

"You did the laundry."

"That was the first thing I did! No accidents! The washing machine is still usable! I swear!"

"Did you _cook?_"

"I wanted to so that I can surprise you and tou-chan, but Hanabi-chan dragged me out of the kitchen whenever I tried to do so! She refused to teach me how to cook anything that is not instant ramen!"

"Thank the Sage she did that." Kushina heaved a sigh of relief as she rested the back of her hand on her forehead. What's going on?

"You guys are _finally _back." Hanabi made her appearance as she walked down the stairs, looking extremely drained. "Babysitting Naruto was a nightmare. Just ask the ANBU guards."

"Thank you so much!" Like an unstoppable whirlwind, Kushina dashed to Hanabi's side before giving her a big hug while rubbing her cheeks against Hanabi's. "Minato and I always tried to teach Naruto how to do any kind of chores without blowing the whole house up but we never succeeded! You just did us a great service!"

So _that's _the reason for all the "impossible" she was muttering. Just how bad Naruto is when it comes to doing basic chores around the house?

"I'm never going to do that again. You have _no idea_ how many times I had to stop her and her clones before she destroyed something." Hanabi visibly shivered. "What possessed me to teach Naruto how to do chores? Definitely not the cat."

"You should come here more often in the future! Ah ha! That's it! I'm kidnapping you away from Hiashi! I'm sure Minato can easily forge an excuse as the Hokage to make you stay in our house permanently, something about better protecting our jinchurikis if they are both in one place-"

"Please, **_no_**." Hanabi quickly shut down that train of thought before yelling at me. "Haku! Don't just stand there and laugh at me! _Get me out of here!"_

"Nope." I replied immediately. "I know a losing battle when I see one. I'm not going to get involved."

**"Yuki Haku!"**

"Hey Haku-nii! Teach me how to cook 'ttebayo!"

It is probably not a very bright idea to agree to Naruto's request, but I'm in a very good mood today after the successful testing of my new seal array.

"Sure. As long as it is not ramen."

"YAHOOO!"

Kushina looked extremely worried as she kept looking between her daughter and her kitchen, but relented in the end.

"Any special requests?" I asked the three women in front of me.

"You are going to make me some fried dumplings. I don't care." Hanabi demanded as she crossed her arms.

"Can you think of something else that is _not _dumplings?"

"No." Hanabi shot back. "I don't care. I had my fill of Naruto's idiocy today and I need some comfort food. Make me some fried dumplings."

"Dumpling ramen?" Naruto asked hopefully.

**"No ramen." **Hanabi and I shot down that idea just as fast.

No way we are going to have ramen _again_.

* * *

"Disregarding the morality issue of using such a seal, it's a brilliant piece of work."

That was the first comment that came out of my godfather's mouth after he took some time to inspect my seal array. Hanabi and I are eating dinner with the Uzumaki-Namikaze family tonight. Team 8 and Team Guy are being assigned on night patrol around the village for a few days, so Hinata and Neji won't be home. Hiashi and Hizashi are involved in some confidential plans that have them coming back to the compound in the dead of the night every single day. It's been some time since either Hanabi or I had eaten a meal with them.

Thus, there was no reason to refuse a dinner invitation from my godmother. Not like we would refuse it anyway.

After trying to teach Naruto how to cook, I can see why Hanabi looked so exhausted after trying to teach her how to do basic household chores properly. I can at least get Naruto to cook rice without burning anything, which in itself is an achievement. Tonight's dinner is mainly prepared by me and Hanabi with Kushina slapping seals around the kitchen just in case a fire breaks out or worse, an explosion.

Thankfully, the seals remained unactivated. Nothing went wrong.

Kushina sent a Shadow Clone to get my godfather to come back to eat dinner after we finished cooking. He teleported back into his house soon enough although he cannot stay for long. He has to get back to work at the Hokage Tower as soon as he can. Kushina had immediately shoved the design of my newest seal array in his face and gave him a quick rundown of what it does when I first tried it out in the T&I.

"I haven't had the time to look at it yet, but I was wondering why _Ibiki _of all people sent me a request letter this afternoon. So this was the reason." Minato mused as he quickly popped food into his mouth while looking over my seal array with a critical eye. "Every single seal you put into the array is based on an existing seal. You did up an entirely new seal array by using existing basic seals as a template, modify them individually, and then combining the different seals together to form this seal array. It was what you were talking to me about during our training trip."

"This is the result." I admitted. "The original intent behind the conception of this complicated array is to allow a person to manually control another from afar, like how the Niidame was able to use the Edo Tensei to control reanimated corpses without exerting any effort while being physically away from the frontlines, or like how I heard Sasori of the Red Sands fought behind the safety of his puppets. I added a lot of other unrelated seals along the way when I found that such a thing is not very feasible to use in real combat, but is useful if you want to toy around with someone under your control, so I ended up making it to be used for torture."

"The whole thing just sounds wrong." Naruto said immediately. "Edo Tensei is one thing. This seal just completely robs a person's free will away."

"Which is why I told Ibiki that I'm not giving this seal array over to him until he got your father's permission." I added. "Of course I know this whole design is immoral. It was supposed to be just a personal project to push the limitations of seals. The whole point was to try and combine as many different seals as possible to form a complicated seal array. I didn't expect it to actually _work_."

"You tested it on a Kumo shinobi?" Hanabi asked between mouthfuls of rice.

"Yes." I told her as I helped myself to another serving of meat and put some in her bowl. "And don't speak while you are still chewing. You will choke on your food."

"Good job." Hanabi nodded in approval, totally ignoring the last part of my sentence. She put some tofu in my bowl in return. "Too bad I wasn't there to see it."

"Both of you are nuts." Naruto stated with her face scrunched up. "I get it that you two hate Kumo shinobis, but-"

"It's wrong?" I completed Naruto's sentence for her.

"Yeah! It's just wrong!"

"Do we look like we _care?_" Hanabi asked with a raised eyebrow. "Trust me, if you landed yourself in the hands of Kumo shinobis, they can be even crueller than Haku."

"B-But it's just _wrong!_ And you wouldn't know for sure that's tr-"

"I was kidnapped by them, remember?_ I would know_."

That shut Naruto up. Come to think about it, Hanabi never mentioned to anyone what she had been through before she met me. Even I don't know about it.

"I'm allowing the use of this seal for interrogation on high-priority prisoners during wartime." Minato broke the argument up as he handed my seal array back. "But I need you to add in some safeguards in case the design falls into enemies' hands. Self-destruct seals are needed, for one, so that we can destroy it when we need to. If you can find a way to add in a seal that allows us to destroy it from afar like how we do with exploding tags, even better. I myself like the idea of the seal within the array that can sense intent. See if you can isolate that part out and make some intent detection seals as a standalone seal. See if you can find a way to add that into our existing detection barrier that surrounds the village. If all goes well, I may even consider letting our shinobis use the intent detection seals on the field to better secure our encampments' perimeter."

"Got it." I cannot keep the happy tone out of my voice as I made my reply, because I _finally _have something interesting to do rather than idling my time away because I'm "sick". There are a lot of things that I'm not allowed to do ever since Inoichi made his diagnosis on my mental state.

At least this project will be interesting. Finally, _something _to do.

"Due to the possible impacts this may have on Konoha should your seal designs get stolen, I'm going to assign an ANBU guard to you while you are creating your new seals." Minato said in his Hokage voice and I know that he is not going to accept any objections on this matter. "Boar."

An ANBU with auburn coloured hair swiftly entered through the window without a sound, kneeling before my godfather. I don't think I've seen this guy before, but I may be wrong. The kind of chakra he has feels familiar.

"Haku, meet Boar. He is one of the best sensors we have in the village. Boar, your new mission is to protect Haku while he is creating his seals. If any of his seal designs gets stolen, it is your job to ensure that it never gets into the enemy's hands."

"Affirmative, Hokage-sama."

"You are dismissed."

"He is a Yamanaka, isn't he?" I asked after Boar made his exit. "I thought his kind of chakra felt familiar. It's similar to Ino."

"Since when are you an expert on differentiating people based on their chakra?" Hanabi asked in doubt. "Pretty sure you suck at that not long before."

"Since three days ago."

"I call bullshit."

"With the type of training method that I taught him to use, it's not impossible." My godfather came to my rescue as he quickly finished up his dinner. Am I now allowed to divulge the secrets of the Mindscape Training technique to Hanabi? She does know about the existence of the mindscape since she is now a jinchuriki.

"And that is?" Hanabi pressed on.

"Training in the mindscape." My godfather flashed a slightly smug grin in Hanabi's direction before standing up. He pressed a quick kiss on Kushina's forehead and fondly ruffled Naruto's hair before walking over to me and Hanabi.

"There are many things that I would like to talk to you about, but we don't have the time considering Konoha's circumstances and the nature of my new job." My godfather ruffled my hair like how he did to Naruto as he said that, a benevolent smile on his face. "But whatever it is, just know that I'm proud of you."

With that, he is gone in a yellow flash.

Dinner carried on as per usual between the four of us after Minato's departure, with Hanabi questioning Kushina what Minato meant by '_Training in the mindscape_'. Even then, there's no mistaking the warm feeling in my heart.

_"Just know that I'm proud of you."_

And I'm happy to be able to make him proud of me too.


	23. Chapter 23- Copy Seal

Inserting a self-destruct seal into the seal array isn't hard, it's just troublesome because I have to find a way to insert the seal into the already extremely complex existing seal array without affecting its existing function.

That reminds me, I have to name it. What should I name it as? It alters one's perception of reality, but it is also a torture seal. Perception altering torture seal? Wait, that sounded too much like what my godfather would name his seals and his naming sense is terrible. Perception Seal? The whole thing is based on the idea of altering one's perception and interpretation of reality after all.

Let's go with that for now.

It's been two days since my godfather gave me the go ahead to continue with my personal project and also the order to complete my seal array. Isolating the Intent Seal and making it a standalone seal outside of the sealing array wasn't hard. It took me less than an hour to complete it, so that's one job completed.

The biggest problem is redrawing the _entire _Perception Seal after I'm done testing the self-destruct part, and that's assuming I only needed one try to get it right. If it fails, I have to redraw the whole thing again from scratch, test it, and then repeat the process until it works flawlessly.

It is so cumbersome.

Redrawing the entire array is going to take a lot of my time. My wish for a photocopy seal had never been greater than before. The photocopier had not been invented in this world yet and I don't know the science behind how it works, but I'm sure Fuinjutsu can definitely provide an alternative.

It's just a matter of whether I can find it. I'm definitely going to invent a photocopy seal somehow because of how much easier my subsequent seal works will be if I have something like that to use.

Hanabi had returned from her daily jinchuriki training with Kushina about two hours ago and simply dropped herself on the floor of my room beside where I'm sitting. I would have moved her to her bed next door if it wasn't for the fact that I know she is still afraid of her nightmares coming back to haunt her.

Problem is, her head is currently resting on my lap and she is drooling onto my pants. My leg is slowly going numb because her head is resting on it and I don't want to move her for fear of accidentally waking her up. She is still snoring away.

Nevermind, back to the idea of the photocopy seal.

I know that Sai has the ability to make his ink messages transform into an ink beast and rearrange itself back into its original message upon entering a blank scroll. He had shared with me before the principle behind how that technique worked. I could probably apply that same logic here if I want to create a seal that copies texts and images written in ink from one scroll to another. However, firstly, there needs to be ink on the scroll that I want to copy the information to. Let's name that the Copy Scroll for now until I thought of a better name for it. If I want the process to be quick and efficient with the least amount of mess, it's best if the Copy Scroll already has ink on it.

I definitely need a storage seal. The Copy Scroll would need to have existing ink on it in the first place and it can only be stored with a storage seal to ensure that there is no mess. That means the base template behind this new photocopy seal- _or screw it, I will just name it the Copy Seal for short_\- has to be the storage seal. The Copy Seal cannot interfere with the contents of the scroll it is copying from and it cannot trigger a reaction from an existing seal if I want it to work on seals as well. Something must be done about that. This whole idea of a Copy Seal involves replication of an existing object. Storage seal involves the taking in and out of an object from another space. Can something be done here?

Which genius even invented the storage seal in the first place? That guy is a damn genius.

Come to think about it, the Edo Tensei perfectly replicates the looks, personality, and abilities of the summoned reanimated corpses. There's no way I'm going to catch a glimpse of the seal array of that forbidden jutsu since my status in the village is shaky enough as it is, but I can make an educated guess on how the seal array works.

From what I remembered in canon, Kabuto mentioned the need to collect DNA samples of the shinobis he wanted to reanimate. I bet that was how the seal array of the Edo Tensei perfectly replicated every single aspect of the reanimated shinobi aside from pulling the soul back from the Pure World. If I apply that logic here, if the contents of the original scroll I want to copy from is the 'DNA', is there a way to transfer it onto a different seal through certain means?

Seals have memory. Even something as complex as the seal from the Summoning Jutsu needs that aspect for it to work. The actual seal design of the Summoning Jutsu is actually extremely complex, it is just usually compressed into a much simpler design for it to be able to work for combat purposes. However, it is still possible to unravel the compressed version back into its original form and compress it again because seals have memory. They remember the exact way to compress or expand itself even without you telling it to. I like to imagine it as how you can use the computer to compress a folder into a zip file and extract the contents back again to access the files. You can repeat the entire process back and forth indefinitely, because seals have memory.

If seals have memory, then can I alter the memory of the Copy Seal such that it can replicate whatever new 'data' I put into it in the form of the content I want the Copy Seal to copy? That is definitely within the realms of possibility. What I need now is a way to transfer said data from scroll to scroll with the least amount of fuss and time. It must be a process that anybody can do.

The process of transferring 'data' is the hardest part of inventing the Copy Seal.

Hanabi squirmed a little before stretching herself with a yawn, almost knocking over my ink bottle in the process.

"Watch where you are waving your arms." I complained halfheartedly as I shifted her away from me. Finally, the sense of touch in my leg is returning.

"What time is it?" She asked as she rubbed her bleary eyes with the back of her hand.

"Been about two hours since you slept and drooled on me."

Hanabi stood up and peered over my shoulders to see what I'm working on. She gave up trying to understand after looking at it for a total of one second.

"What's that?"

"I'm trying to invent a seal that can copy the text of one scroll to another because copying everything by hand is so tedious. Can you imagine the number of times I have to redraw my new seal array for every failed attempt in testing the self-destruct function? No way I'm going to do that."

"That seal sounds great. So what's the problem?"

"How to transfer the content from one scroll to another with perfect accuracy."

Hanabi rested her head on mine as her long hair cascaded around my face messily. We stared at the scroll in front of us in silence for about a few minutes before she spoke up again.

"Actually, isn't something like that already done? Just on a smaller scale."

"Really? What?"

"I'm sure you have been doing it with your ice when it comes to seals. Just give me a small block of it."

I conjured a small cube of ice for Hanabi, who took it with a hand. She raised the index finger of her other hand, lit it up with a small dose of the devilish blue flames before pressing it against a surface of the cube of ice. The area which her finger pressed on melted partially, making an indent. Hanabi then proceeded to poke a few more indents on the same surface with her finger.

She then took my brush, messily painted some ink over the surface of the cube that is ridden with holes before pressing it down on a blank piece of paper. The resulting ink image is a perfect square with circles at the exact area which her fingers poked at.

_Oh_

"My dear Haku. Ever heard of _rubber_ _stamps?_" Hanabi said in such a sarcastic manner that it made my eye twitch in annoyance. "You know, that thing otou-sama always uses to quickly ink his signature on all his paperwork when he gets lazy? I thought you carved your seals on your ice, how did you not think of this?"

I could not think of a witty comeback because Hanabi's right. How did I not think of this?

"You win this time." I admitted my loss as I adjusted my thought process accordingly to this new insight. If the scroll I want to copy from is the 'rubber stamp', and the Copy Scroll acts as the ink pad slash paper, then all I need to do is to ensure that I can 'engrave' the ink from the original scroll properly on any other medium.

Seals have memory. If I exploit that fact about seals, I could make this work. In this world, most paperwork are written in ink. I could have my Copy Seal 'memorise' the content of the original scroll to be copied from by tracing the ink patterns on the original, fool the sealwork into thinking that is a part of the seal design all along, and then replicate it by exploiting the memory aspect of seals. That's it! That's how I can make this work!

I quickly picked up my brush again and redraw an entirely new seal design based on the template of the common storage seal. First, the Copy Seal needs to be able to store some amount of ink to copy the content. Secondly, I need to tweak the original storage seal design such that the moment it comes into contact with any other ink-based content, it will automatically copy and memorise the exact manner in which the original content was written or drawn in ink. This can be done by fooling the Copy Seal into thinking that this was a part of its seal design all along by exploiting its 'memory' characteristics. Thirdly, if we are copying the seal designs of other types of inked seals, then it cannot interfere or accidentally trigger the seal the Copy Seal is copying.

I can work with this.

"I'm going to take a shower and then I'm bringing dinner over to your room." Hanabi told me as she made her way out of my room. I hummed in acknowledgement, my hand still busy in trying to modify the storage seal to my liking.

I can totally do this.

* * *

The slamming of the brush on the table woke her up. Hanabi yawned as she rubbed her eyes, pushing the blanket off her. It's definitely late at night. She remembered not wanting to sleep alone in her room, so she decided to sleep in Haku's room because that workaholic is still working on his Copy Seal even when it's nearly midnight, so she decided to go and sleep first.

What time is it now anyway?

The clock hanging on the wall told her it's 6am in the morning. _Wait, what?_ Haku had been working on his new seal throughout the night?

That crazy idiot.

She saw the man who she is so crazily in love with glaring at a scroll on his table with so much intensity that she thought he might have awakened some unknown dojutsu without her knowing. Beside his table, a huge bunch of scrolls lay messily on the floor, telling her how many times he had failed to get his idea of a Copy Seal up and working.

However, that's not her main concern right now.

"Haku. _So help me._ If you are not going to sleep_ right now_-"

"I think I did it."

"What?"

"I did it." His voice got a little louder as he turned around to face her, the lack of sleep clear in his eyes. "I think I just made it work."

"Show me."

She scrambled to her feet and immediately got to his side, ignoring her bed hair and how unsightly she must be looking right now after just waking up from her sleep. She saw a seal drawn on the scroll, which looks a lot like the common storage seal at first glance but you can easily see the minor differences if you take a closer look at it.

"Alright, look." Haku took a random book from the bookshelf next to him and flipped to a random page. He pressed the page down on the scroll and with her byakugan active, Hanabi saw how a very slight push of chakra from Haku into the Copy Seal immediately activated it. The small amount of chakra from the seal quickly caused the seal to unravel and expand before it traced the ink patterns on the page from the book. Shortly after, more ink spreaded out from the Copy Seal on the scroll and rearranged themselves to form the exact same words from the page of the book. It's an _exact _copy.

When Haku removed the book, the final result is a perfect replica of the page from the book now inked on the scroll, the Copy Seal gone.

"You actually did it within a night." Hanabi whispered in shock. She knows Haku is brilliant, but this is another thing entirely. She can already imagine just how revolutionary this seal could be if it came into existence.

Imagine the amount of time saved from the tedious process of trying to make copies of paperwork by hand. Imagine if it can actually duplicate other types of seals simply by letting them come into contact with the Copy Seal. The speed in which _explosive tags_ and storage scrolls that Konoha can now produce…

She doesn't even want to begin thinking about it.

"The only thing left to test is to see if it can copy other seals, which I'm not planning to do here just in case everything explodes. If things have to explode, it is not going to be in my room."

"Come. Let's go to the training ground outside." Hanabi began to drag Haku up on his feet. "I don't care if you wake the whole compound up with you. I _need _to see this."

They hastily grabbed whatever Haku needed to do up another Copy Seal. She is sure that even their assigned ANBU guards are curious about what they are about to do.

She waited impatiently for him to redraw another Copy Seal onto a small blank piece of paper. Once done, she handed him an explosive tag. He gave her a flat look upon seeing that.

"Seriously? The first thing you want me to test is the _explosive tag?"_

"Think about it this way. If you can copy the seal design of an explosive tag without anything going wrong, everything else is probably going to turn out fine."

"Good point." He agreed as he took the explosive tag from her. He made an ice clone and the clone began walking to the center of the field. They both held their breaths when the clone pressed the explosive tag and the paper with the Copy Seal together.

Nothing explosive happened yet.

"It works." The ice clone spoke as he showed them both pieces of paper, each having the same seal design as any other explosive tag commonly seen being used by shinobis.

"Test it." She said immediately. "Detonate the copy."

The ice clone threw the copy onto the ground before leaping away. A second later, an explosion happened at where the copied explosive tag was thrown, creating a small crater in the process.

"You did it." She began to shake Haku excitedly with her hands on his shoulders. "_You actually did it!_ You crazy genius! _You did it!"_

"Yes I know." Haku snapped back. "Stop shaking me."

"Quick! Quick! Test the other type of seals! Storage seals, barrier seals! Anything! Hurry!"

"I would if you can stop shaking me around."

* * *

ANBU Boar, also known as Yamanaka Fu, could not believe his eyes.

When his Hokage ordered him to guard Yuki Haku, he had thought that it was an excuse for the Hokage to guard his godson out of his personal bias for the child. Manpower in all divisions is strained enough as it is. Why waste an ANBU of his caliber to guard someone who obviously has the ability to properly defend himself, child or not?

But after seeing that display?

Nope. He cannot argue against the results. That Copy Seal is _impressive_. The boy's seals must absolutely not land in enemies' hands, that's for sure. Someone must keep a watch on those revolutionary seals. A seal that copies _anything _that is written in ink within seconds? Even _other seals?_

A seal that can copy other seals is definitely a revolutionary seal.

He watched in wonder, excitement, and curiosity as the two genin began to test the newly invented Copy Seal on every single common seal design they could think of. Storage seal, barrier seals, the intent seal, even the complicated as heck seal array the Hokage wanted Haku to complete to be used in the T&I. The one the boy named it as the Perception Seal. Everything was copied perfectly. On a side note, Haku had also successfully finished the complete version of the Perception Seal on his first try. He is a fucking genius.

He no longer has any doubt in the rumours that the boy single handedly sealed a tailed beast within the Hyuga girl.

Fucking hell, this invention of the Copy Seal is _revolutionary_. No more tedious copying of paperwork if someone else asked for a duplicate. The time needed for their logistics department to produce explosive tags and storage scrolls can definitely be cut by more than half. If that can be done, the odds that Konoha can easily win a war against Kumo are so much better now despite the huge hit they took from the recent invasion on their village. Hey, who knows, maybe even the combined might of Iwa and Kumo may not be that much of a threat anymore with so many explosive tags on Konoha's side. The side which has good management of their logistics always wins the war.

'_You see that?' _He used his hands to sign to Bird, whose team is tasked to guard Hanabi. Bird's shift had supposedly ended half an hour ago, but he chose to stay here because he too is curious about the extent of seals in which Haku's new Copy Seal can actually copy. So far, there are no seals it couldn't copy yet.

_'Yes.'_

_'He's a genius.'_

_'I know. I watched him grow up.'_

Oh right. Bird is a Hyuga.

Bird's entire team had also secretly flocked to the area where Haku and Hanabi are now testing the new Copy Seal. More and more Hyuga clan members are also gathering around at the crack of dawn to see what the commotion is all about. The Hyugas know that ANBU members will be present in the compound due to Hanabi's jinchuriki status, so they weren't alarmed upon spotting all the hidden ANBU guards with their byakugan.

"Alright. We just tried your Copy Seal against every common seal we can think of. Right now, you are going to _sleep_. You have been awake for close to 24 hours and I'm not going to allow you to continue doing this crazy shit."

"But Hanabi, I-"

_"Haku."_

Every man knew that tone. That type of tone that their significant other will use against them when they are displeased about something that they did. If you know what's good for you, you shut up and go along.

"Fine." Haku relented. "But I need to first bring all my seals to tou-chan and explain to him how it works-"

"I'm sure one of the ANBUs watching us can do that." Hanabi cut him off before shouting in Fu's direction. "Hey, Boar. Do you mind? Your mission's technically not over until Haku's seals reach the Hokage. The faster you deliver it to him and explain to him how it works, which I'm sure you would know by now since you have been spying on us all this time, the faster your mission ends. Sounds good?"

_'She's right.'_ Bird signed to Fu, who mentally rolled his eyes at the remark.

Boar made his appearance in the middle of the training field with a shunshin. From the looks of it, only the young children were surprised by his presence. The Hyuga adults, even the civilians, were totally unfazed by his appearance.

The ability of the byakugan really precedes its reputation if even civilians knew he was there all along. There's really nothing that can hide you from those white eyes. How did that Kumo nin even incited the Hyuga Affair so many years ago if that were the case? How had Hanabi been kidnapped from her own home if the byakugan is this good at allowing the Hyugas to spot intruders in their own territory?

Fu is sincerely glad that the Hyuga clan is a part of Konoha. It would be a nightmare if the clan belongs to another village.

Hanabi passed the seals over to Fu before going to drag an unwilling Haku along with her back to his room, who is now mumbling something about wanting to further improve on his new seals.

"Hanabi, I need to fine tune the-"

"You are going to get some sleep and I'm going to make sure you sleep until noon at the very least. If not, I will _make _you."

Everybody wisely shuffled out of Hanabi's way. Fu looked at the seals in his hands. Guess he will be the one doing the demonstration of the new seals to his Hokage. Pretty sure his Hokage will be very impressed by his godson's invention of this brand new Copy Seal that nobody told him to invent or expected him to do.

Why is that boy stuck here in the clan compound? He's good enough to get himself into any division with that kind of skill set!

Hell, with the display he put up in repelling the invasion, he is already good enough to be at the frontlines right now!

* * *

"Hey Obito, come take a look at this."

Obito walked over to the tent where he and his long time friend made their war plans when Kakashi beckoned him to come over. Their battalion's encampment is set along the borders of the Fire Country facing the direction of Kumo's territory. Tension is running high along the borders but thankfully, nobody is willing to fire the first shot yet to signal the start of the Fourth World War. Hopefully, this will not escalate any further even if Obito personally wanted to erase a small army of Kumo shinobis or two to vent his anger because his own village had just been _invaded_.

Obito had just got back from checking the teams under his command when Kakashi waved him over.

"Look what you cute little student invented."

Obito squinted his eyes a little at the foreign looking seal Kakashi held up for him to see. There's no doubt which student of his Kakashi is referring to when it comes to seals.

"What's this?"

"It's named the Copy Seal. The message that just came in from sensei told us that it was invented a week ago by Haku. As long as it is ink-based, it copies almost anything simply through physical contact. That includes volatile seals like the one you see on exploding tags. In fact, there is no ink-based seal that the Copy Seal cannot copy. If there is, we haven't found it yet."

"You've got to be pulling my leg, right?" Obito blinked his eyes twice and snatched the piece of paper from Kakashi's hand. It looks like a storage seal at first glance, but the similarity ends after giving it a second glance.

"Do I look like I have nothing better to do?"

"Show me how it works." Obito demanded. He knows his cute little Haku-chan is brilliant with seals, but he needs to see it to believe it.

"I tried it. It's damn bloody convenient if you want to mass produce seals at a rapid rate or simply want to make duplicates of your paperwork." Kakashi commented as he took out a rubber stamp from his pocket.

"See this rubber stamp? Sensei sent me one of these. The other stamp is with Guy's battalion in case we need them on the field for whatever reasons." Kakashi took out a rubber stamp from his pocket, which the mirror image of the Copy Seal is carved on. Kakashi quickly stamped it on an ink pad a few times before quickly using it to stamp copies of the seal on small blank pieces of paper that they were previously about to create a new batch of explosive tags from.

Kakashi then took an ink bottle and poured some ink over each seal. With a push of chakra similar to how they would activate a storage scroll, the ink got sucked into the Copy Seals.

"This is the fun part." Kakashi commented with a little too much glee in his voice as he took out an explosive tag from his weapon pouch. "Watch."

Obito activated his sharingan and watched as Kakashi pressed the explosive tag against a piece of paper inked with the Copy Seal. When Kakashi separated the two pieces of paper after two seconds, a perfect replica of the explosive seal from the explosive tag was copied onto the previously blank piece of paper.

"The hell? That worked?"

"That was also my reaction when I first saw it. I had a shadow clone test the copied explosive tag. It fucking worked. You cannot even tell the difference from the original. Minato-sensei sent our battalion double the amount of explosive tags and storage scrolls we asked for because there is now a surplus of those back in the village. All because of a seal your student invented."

"The Copy Seal only works if the size of the scroll or paper you are copying to is big enough to cover the original copy, right?" Obito pointed out. "If the size of the paper is too small, there wouldn't be enough space to copy the entire content."

"Yeah, but most scrolls and explosive tags come in standard sizes across the Elemental Nations, so there wouldn't be much of a problem. The Copy Seal doesn't even necessarily have to be applied on paper, it can work on any surface that ink won't get smudged on, like cloth."

"Seriously?"

"I'm serious." Kakashi deadpanned. "Do you know how much easier infiltration missions are now because of this? We no longer need to steal information. We can now quickly copy written information without leaving any traces behind. I can already foresee sensei sending you on a mission to copy everything Kumo stores in their damn library without them any wiser."

Obito let out a huff as he puffed his chest up.

"What can I say? I'm a good sensei."

"Pft. Please, dobe. You didn't teach Haku a damn thing about sealing."

"You know what? We might have just won this war even before it started, because we can now afford to dump exploding tags on the entire Land of Lightning. All we need now is enough paper to ink the Copy Seals on and the Land of Fire has nothing but trees. We are the largest _exporter _of paper in the Elemental Nations."

"Yeah, that's actually a little scary to think about." Kakashi scratched his chin in thought. "But hey, if a war does happen, we might actually be able to end it quickly through explosions. Iwa's Explosion Corps has nothing on us now."

"Imagine the expression on Onoki's wrinkly old face when he sees us with so many exploding tags. Remember what we did to the Kannabi Bridge?"

Obito's lips cannot help but curled up into a wry grin.

"Oh yeah, that was fun."

Kakashi and him both let out a snigger at the memory before Kakashi's voice turned serious once more.

"The design of the Copy Seal is a tightly guarded secret for now, but there's no way it can stay hidden forever since we used it on such a big scale like this. The other villages are bound to know about it soon enough and then start stealing the design somehow one way or another like how the design of exploding and storage seals eventually became prevalent. But sensei and the war council wants to see if we can use this invention as some sort of first mover advantage to talk Ay down from starting another war. If this Copy Seal alone can dissuade him from firing the first shot, that will be the best."

"I highly doubt it." Obito scoffed. "If I were that bastard, I would simply send an infiltrator to steal the Copy Seal's design."

"Yeah, but at least now we have more cards in our hands for the moment. Maybe Minato-sensei can really think of an alternative to avoid another war with this new development. Paperwork is going to be so much easier thanks to Haku. I should have been his sensei."

"Hey, no stealing my cute little genins. You already got your own minions."

"I can trade Naruto for Haku."

"Try harder."

"Naruto _and _Sasuke for Haku."

"Those two will be heartbroken if they ever hear that coming from you."

"They come in a package."

"And Haku-chan cannot do without nabi-chan and vice versa and even if you offer your entire team it is still not valuable enough for me to make the trade." Obito waved Kakashi off. "Too bad. Too sad. Life's like that."

_"Not valuable enough?" _Kakashi's voice rose a little higher. "The heirs of the Uzumaki, Uchiha, _and _the Haruno clans are _not valuable enough?_ Are you sure your eyesight is alright?"

"They are perfectly fine." Obito countered. "By the way, we really should start working on ideas to take advantage of the surplus of explosive tags we just received from the village. I was wondering if we can make use of my Kamui to rain the explosive tags down on any Kumo teams that will try to ambush our camp."

Kakashi did a Guy-style thumbs up.

"The most youthful idea I've heard so far. Let's get working."


	24. Chapter 24- Stupid Haku

"I LOVE THIS SEAL SO MUCH 'TTEBAYO!"

"It does make the process of writing mission reports a lot easier." Neji admitted.

"U-Um… Should we really take advantage of the Copy Seal like that?"

"Nee-san. There's no need to question how we use the seal." Hanabi pushed a rubber stamp into her twin's hand. "Just use it."

Every mission report has a certain template and format to follow regardless of the rank of the mission. It usually comes in a blank form that you have to fill in your particulars. Name, rank, shinobi registration number, for example. Filling those things in the report usually takes up a substantial amount of time, and when you are told to submit more than one copy, which is usually the case, filling in mission reports can be very tedious.

So if you keep a spare copy of a blank mission report with only your particulars filled in as a template, and using the Copy Seal to copy it onto a blank piece of paper, the only thing you would need to fill in are the mission details of the most recent mission you've been on. If you need to submit more than one copy, then all you need to do is to simply copy the completed mission report which you've completed onto another piece of paper that has the Copy Seal.

It saves a lot of time this way.

Neji and Hinata had just returned back from the night patrol they did with their teams. Night patrol is a boring job with lots of mission reports to be done and handed in right after. If there's nothing to report, then it's simply filling up your particulars while declaring 'Nothing to Report' in the other blanks. It's a waste of time doing multiple copies of it if it wasn't for the Copy Seal.

"I LOVE THIS!"

"Stop playing with the Copy Seal." I chided Naruto, who acts more like a baby with a new favourite toy with how she is copying anything she sees as long as it is written or drawn in ink. The last thing I need is for her to accidentally find a seal that ended up with explosive results while being copied by the Copy Seal. We haven't stumbled across such a seal yet and I don't think it will ever happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if Naruto of all people would be the one to do so.

"Yosh! This invention is most useful! It saves so much time on my precious youth that it now burns even brighter than before!"

"Lee. Keep quiet." Tenten grumbled as she scribbled her own mission report, wanting to just get this done as soon as possible.

"Hana would love to use this in her clinic. It will definitely make handing out copies of prescriptions a lot faster." Kiba commented as Akamaru snuggled in his lap. "Mind giving me one of those rubber stamps?"

"I'm afraid that is not possible, Kiba. Why? I heard from Kurenai-sensei that Hokage-sama is strictly regulating the usage and flow of these rubber stamps because they are currently vital to our war efforts. The design of the Copy Seal cannot be leaked out so soon."

"Damn it, Shino. Whose side are you on?"

"On our village's side, obviously."

"When I first invented this seal, it's done with the purpose of making our lives easier. I certainly didn't think of using it for warfare." I huffed as I lay on a hammock that is tied between two trees. "But considering the violent state of the world, I shouldn't be surprised."

Hanabi raised a hand to pat me on the shoulder, but seeing that she really isn't looking at where her hand is going, she nearly stabbed me in the eye with her finger instead.

Shino had kindly invited us to his clan compound so that we can catch up with our lives seeing that it is rare for us to meet up at any time. We are currently the shade of the trees in his backyard. Shino had pulled out a large table for Team 8 and Team Guy to fill in their mission reports while we chatted away. Right now, Team 7 and Team 10 are somewhere in the village doing some sort of D Rank mission that helps out in the war efforts.

"What other cool seals do you have?" Kiba asked while writing his mission report. "Anything useful to keep us alive if a war breaks out?"

"This is just a prototype for now, but if you guys can help me test it on the field, by all means, go ahead." I lazily handed Kiba and gang a number of sealing tags. "These are Intent Seals. Assuming that it works as I intend it to be, they sense negative intent towards you in a fifty feet radius with you as the centre. If it lights up, then you know someone out there is out for your head."

"Cool. Thanks." Kiba pocketed the seals while giving out some of these to the rest. "Will let you know the results if we ever get sent out."

"Wait." Shino paused in his writing as he turned to look at me. "Did Hokage-sama approve the usage of those seals?"

"He didn't say no. Besides, kaa-chan and I already applied it to the Detection Barrier around Konoha and also on the village's gates with his permission. It probably wouldn't take him long to order a field test of the Intent Seals on the battlefield."

"I'm suddenly very glad that you are on our side." Tenten chipped in. "Copy Seals are life savers."

"I'm of the belief that seals can do almost anything."

"That's a bold claim to make." Neji said as he looked up from writing his mission report.

"We're going to find something that you cannot solve with seals." Hanabi added.

"Bring it." I challenged, because I'm _bored_. I know Inoichi has my best interests in heart when he told everyone that I'm not allowed to do combat missions or train for more than three hours per day, but not being able to do anything interesting to pass the time makes me bored. Seals are my only alternative left.

"Make us fly." Tenten immediately said.

"Tou-chan can already do that!" Naruto interrupted. "Flying is already possible with seals!"

"Damn."

"How about swimming underground?" Kiba asked.

"What do you want that for?" Neji questioned. "We already have basic Earth Release jutsus for it. Try something else."

"Bring down the moon!"

"Lee, that's too far." Hanabi shook her head in disapproval. "And the moon's pretty. I'd rather it remain up there."

"Huh, I might really do that someday." I pondered out loud as I looked into the sky. Without the moon, the Infinite Tsukuyomi cannot be used, right? I mean, sure, somebody could probably Chibaku Tensei another moon up there in replacement, but forming something as huge as a moon would definitely take a while. All I have to do is to take it down faster than somebody trying to put it up in the sky.

"Haku, I know what you are thinking, _please don't_." Hanabi immediately swatted her hand right at my face, which I barely managed to dodge.

"But Hanabi, I think Lee's idea is most youthful."

"Yosh! Haku-san, let's be Eternal Rivals! The first one to-"

"When I say youthful, I don't mean that part."

* * *

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama?"

Minato crossed his fingers as he rested his elbows on the table while leaning forward. He and the war council had been discussing the best way to deal with the ongoing tension between them and Kumo for a while now. Their ANBU had found out that Ay is trying to convince Onoki into joining their side as well, but the fencesitter is still deliberating on the issue. Knowing Onoki, he probably is waiting for Konoha and Kumo to fight it out and only enter the picture when both villages have suffered heavy losses in order to reap the maximum benefits. That's just his style.

In any case, the moment Iwa gets involved too, it definitely will be the start of a world war. Something needs to be done about their conflict with Kumo as soon as possible.

Konoha is not afraid of war, but considering their current circumstances, it is best if they do not get themselves involved in one. If they do, they have to end it in the shortest time possible. Kizashi used his life as the price to protect Konoha and left it to him, it's now his job as the Godaime Hokage to protect the village.

The whole topic of discussion today is about Haku's newly invented Copy Seal and how to use it to their advantage. Everyone here can see how revolutionary this invention is. The production speed of their explosive tags and storage scrolls had skyrocketed to ridiculous levels and not even two weeks had passed since it was first introduced.

Minato cannot help but be proud of Haku. That's his boy.

"Let's be realistic." Minato spoke up. "There's no way the seal design of the Copy Seal is going to stay confidential for much longer given how we had decided to use it on such a large scale to increase our supply of explosive tags and storage scrolls. If we want to make full use of our current advantage, it is now. If I make a move, I'm sure Ay would too. He knows that in his village, nothing short of Bee or him can stop me. Wherever I go, he will have to be there."

"You want our side to take the initiative." Shikaku stated. "That is definitely better than being reactive."

"I'm planning to take Ay hostage and force him to sign a peace treaty agreement." Minato's statement earned him many looks of surprise from his war council. "That's the quickest way I can think of to stop this from escalating into a real war. I can take Ay in a head-on fight. I had cut off his left arm after all. We have shinobis like Obito, Fugaku, Kushina, Yamato, and even Haku to deal with Bee. And _even _then, we have other S Rank shinobis like Kakashi, Dan, Tsunade, Shisui, and Itachi to deal with other possible threats. We can win this if we play our cards right. The only reason why I decided to propose this idea _now _is because our village needed some time to recover from our losses in the invasion. Konoha had recovered enough for us to make a move, so now's a good time as any."

The war council grew silent as everybody took some time to think over their Hokage's words. Such a bold move is risky. One wrong action on their part can possibly result in another world war, something that nobody here is keen on participating.

Unexpectedly, Danzo was the one who broke the silence.

"I agree with Hokage-sama." The aged shinobi stood up from his seat. "While Konoha cannot afford to be involved in another world war right now, we shouldn't be afraid of it. Like Hokage-sama said, the resource surplus advantage that the Copy Seal brings us can only last so long until the other villages steal the design somehow. We need to strike while the iron's hot."

"I guess sometimes we have to fight if we want our precious peace back, huh?" Tsume said with a feral grin. "I'm in."

"Hokage-sama. I don't like the risk associated with this bold move." Shikaku stated his thoughts outright. "But if you are sure this is the best way out, then I'm with you."

"The Ino-Shika-Cho are always together. Count us in." Choza said in his booming voice. Soon, each and every person in the room began to voice their agreement. Minato cannot help but let a small smile rest on his face.

_Did you see this, Kizashi? Your idea of peace through unity. This is it._

"Thank you." Minato thanked his shinobis from the bottom of his heart. "I already have a brief idea of how we are going to do this. The element of surprise is a crucial factor if we want to stop the war even before it happens. Time is of the essence. We will bring the battle to Kumo, but we have to end it even before the week is over if we want to avoid needless bloodshed."

Minato's eyes turned cold and sharp as he let his Yellow Flash persona take over.

"I want everyone to listen carefully and if there's anything you think I had missed out in the plan, I want you to voice your opinions. This is important. The peace of our home is at stake."

**"Yes, Hokage-sama!"**

* * *

"Everyone is going to war?"

"Yes." Hiashi nodded solemnly. The Hyuga clan is currently in an emergency clan meeting with Hiashi briefing us with what we need to know. Everyone that can be present is all gathered here right now.

"Including me?" I asked, because I'm not sure if Inoichi's orders still stand in this scenario.

"_Everyone_, especially you. You've been given a very important role due to your expertise in suppressing tailed beasts."

"Then what about me?" Hanabi asked in concern. "I'm going out there too, right? I'm now an S Rank-"

"No, you are staying here together with Naruto."

"What?" Hanabi exclaimed. "Why?! I'm better than most shinobis out there-"

"Because you are a high priority target of Kumo and we don't need our jinchurikis to win us this battle. We cannot lose any of you." Hiashi said in a firm voice. "I know you don't like this arrangement. Neither do I. During this period, Kato Dan will act as interim Hokage. You and Naruto will be staying with him for your protection. You will follow his orders and you will not give him any trouble, am I clear?"

"Otou-sama, I-"

"Hanabi. Please."

Hanabi looked more than ready to light herself on fire, but she conceded in the end.

"I understand."

"Thank you." Hiashi pulled her close to him in a brief hug. "We will all come back alive, I promise, so don't worry too much. If you want to join us in the future, then master the abilities of the demon cat within you as soon as possible."

"I'll try." Hanabi mumbled.

"Time is of the essence." Hiashi looked back at the clan members gathered in front of him. "The advance party will be moving out tonight, followed by the other teams. Get the team assignment list from Hizashi and pack your gear. Bring everything you think you need."

The meeting carried on with Hiashi quickly assigning roles and responsibilities to those who will be staying behind in the village to ensure that the clan can still run by itself even with him and Hizashi gone. The meeting didn't last long because we are running on a tight schedule.

"You're in the advance party." Hanabi told me after we were all dismissed. She handed me a copy of the list and sure enough, my name is listed as a member of the advance party. In fact, I'm the only shinobi in the clan whose name is in the advance party. Neji and Hinata are in the main army who will move out at dawn tomorrow morning.

"We'll be fine. I've prepared for this possibility."

"Otou-sama said that you are most likely going to fight _Bee_." Hanabi said in worry as she followed me back into my room. "This is different from facing Yugito. He has _four times_ the number of tails-"

"I'm not planning to die. Not anytime soon. If it's Bee we are talking about, I'm sure my godmother and Obito-sensei will be there with me as well. They are well-suited for the job." I cut her off as I began to check my gear and pack anything that I wanted to add at the last minute. Storage seals are the best. I can bring my whole room along to the frontlines if I want to.

"But **_I_** won't be there with you!" Hanabi raised her voice to nearly a shout. "_Who knows_ what kind of stupid things you will end up doing if I'm not there to supervise your stupid ass!"

"I don't have much time left before I meet the advance party at the meeting point. Are you sure you want to spend this last moment with me by engaging in a shouting match?" I asked without looking at her, still busy trying to check and pack my gear. While we are moving out tonight, I have to meet the rest of the advance party a few hours in advance so that we can prepare and familiarise ourselves with our mission. I have only about slightly more than an hour left before I have to go.

"_Don't_ say it like you are not going to return. I'll hate you for life if you don't come back to me."

"You won't have a chance to hate me." I said as I closed my backpack shut and adjusted the straps accordingly. "I told you, I'm not planning to die."

"I don't like it._ I don't like this._" Hanabi hissed as she stomped her foot on the floor in frustration. "_Why_ am I stuck here while everybody is out there fighting? I don't want to be the one waiting and powerless to do anything to help. I-"

"So grow strong." I stopped Hanabi by flicking my finger on her forehead before her thoughts spiralled down to somewhere unreachable. "You promised me that you will be SSS Rank strong, so that you would never die again. I'm holding you up to that."

Hanabi let out a breath and sat down listlessly on the edge of my bed, her head hanging low. I don't like to see her acting like this, but if my godfather deemed that going into battle right now is the best possible choice to make, then I choose to place my trust in him.

Even if it means Hanabi doesn't like it. I never like seeing her sad. She deserves to be happy after the kind of shit she has been through in her life.

There's nothing much I can do right now, but I can give her something to look forward to while I'm gone.

I removed the most precious object I have from my neck and dangled it in front of her eyes.

"Here. I don't want to accidentally damage it on the battlefield, so hold onto it for me until I get back."

* * *

Hanabi blinked her eyes. _No way._ Why is he giving her _that?_

"Haku! That's your mother's-"

"Precisely _why _I want you to hold onto it for me." Haku interrupted her before she could go on. "The last thing I need is for Bee to accidentally destroy it when we fight it out."

"I'm not taking this." Hanabi pushed the pendant away from her. "I know how much this means to-"

"Just take it."

"No!"

The two of them ended up tussling on his bed, with him trying to forcefully wear it around her neck and her trying to not let him succeed.

Unfortunately, she failed.

"Haku!" She shouted at him when she found the pendant worn around her neck. Accepting this pendant from him just gives her a very bad feeling in her gut, like he's not planning to return. "Take it back _right now!"_

"You keep having nightmares whenever I'm not around. At least this way, I'm kind of still with you. Think of it as a good luck charm that wards away nightmares." Haku shrugged without a care in the world. Hanabi cannot find anything to argue back because, well, it's true.

She let out an audible sigh of frustration and resignation as she covered her face with her hands. Why is she so useless? She's of no help to anyone right now.

"Don't eat too many fried dumplings when I'm away."

"Why would I? Only yours tastes nice and it's not like you will be here to make some for me."

"Remember to not sleep with your hair wet."

"Yuki Haku. You are very naggy, you know that?"

"If you know how to take care of yourself, I don't need to be naggy." Haku gave her a pointed look and she stuck her tongue out at him in return. Sheesh, who's taking care of who most of the time? She's not the one who willingly forgo sleep just to invent a crazy seal to copy things.

Her left hand idly fiddled with the pendant around her neck, the one with the Yuki clan symbol etched on it. She doesn't know if she has anything that she can give him while she's not by his side.

But, maybe,_ just maybe_, she can give him a fond memory to remember her by. Haku had never been good at dealing with his own emotions. It will take freaking forever if she waits for him to realise his own feelings for her.

"Hey."

"What?" He asked as he went through his weapon pouch as he sat on the floor, his back facing her. "I'm kind of busy right now."

"Close your eyes."

"In case you couldn't tell, I really need my eyes open to check if I have enough weapons in my pouch."

_"Close. Your. Eyes."_ She growled as she walked up to face him and wrenched the stupid pouch away from his hands. This is hard enough for her as it is.

"Fine." He relented and closed his eyes without question. She took a second to look at his face, take in his every features, and did her best to ignore her rising heartbeat and the growing blush on her face.

Without further hesitation, she moved forward and pressed her lips to his.

His lips felt cool to the touch. It's surprisingly soft. There's a slight salty taste to it and she found herself loving this sensation.

She pulled away about two seconds later, her cheeks feeling extremely hot. Haku's eyes were wide open in surprise and it looked like he had simply froze in place.

That idiot. He should have demanded more. She wouldn't say no to him.

She quickly stood back up on her feet and slowly walked backwards away from him towards the door.

"I… I'll wait for you." Oh by the Sage, she doesn't even know what she is saying anymore. Her mind's even more scrambled than scrambled egg right now. "I-I don't need an a-answer from you. I already know what it is. _Just don't die!_ If you do I will bring you right back and then kick your ass! _And don't do anything stupid while I'm not there with you!_ If you do anything stupid out there I will kick your ass too! But if y-you c-can _givemeananswerbythetimeyougetback_\- **ARRGH!** What am I even saying?! Whatever! Just come back or you are going to get hell from me! Bye!"

She quickly turned around and fled from his room before quickly taking refuge in hers, slamming the door shut behind her. She slid down with her back against the door, curling up upon herself and covering her face with her hands. Her cheeks felt so hot that she wouldn't be surprised if it can cook eggs.

Stupid Haku. Stupid stupid stupid _stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid-_

_What possessed her to do that?! _**Argh!** She can't even face him when she sees him again!

She activated her byakugan and spotted him still sitting at the same spot in the same position as she left him in. Did he really get frozen? Was that too much for him?

His right hand slowly went up to touch his lips. Okay, he's not brain dead yet. That's good.

What does this make them now anyway? She knows she loves him and she knows that he loves her, but that idiot somehow doesn't realise it. He is so scared of receiving love for fear of losing it that he long since lost the ability to recognise the emotion of love. If this kiss isn't a big enough clue slamming down on him with the force of a Rasengan, she doesn't know what else she can do anymore.

Damn it. That was too embarrassing. She's never going to do something like that again.

She remained at her position on the floor, byakugan still active as she watched him through the walls of their rooms. He left when the time was up, but not before giving a brief look in the direction of her room before disappearing using his ice mirrors.

That idiot. At least come over to say goodbye.

She almost tore her hair out in frustration and embarrassment as she deactivated her byakugan. _Urgh_, she just screwed everything up. What if Haku decided to not talk to her anymore? What if-

She fell on her back when the door to her room that she was leaning on suddenly opened. Her sister's face came into view from above, a sly knowing smirk on her face.

"Nee-san." She greeted with an audible gulp. She really doesn't like the look on her twin's face right now. It couldn't be, right?

"We saw everything."

"You saw _nothing_." Hanabi stressed. Why on earth is her twin spying on her at the wrong time? Does nobody ever respect the no-using-their-dojutsu-rule within their clan compound anymore? Oh wait, she just flouted that rule too.

"We saw everything." Her cousin poked his head out from behind her sister's shoulder and Hanabi gave an audible groan while covering her face in embarrassment. This is it. _Everything's ruined_. Of all times her siblings have to spy on her with their clan's dojutsu, it has to be during this time.

"Please don't tell anyone, especially otou-"

"By we, Hinata and Neji means us too."

She really wanted to just shrivel up and die right now when she heard her father's voice. She can also hear her uncle's chuckles from outside her room.

"Hanabi-"

"Don't say a word. Please don't say anything." Hanabi curled up on the floor to make herself as small as possible while trying to hide her face from view, stopping her father from saying anything to her. "I don't want to hear it. Please go away. Just let me die in embarrassment here. Stupid Haku."

She muttered the last two words to herself under her breath. _This is all his fault._

Stupid Haku.

"I was about to ask if you would like me to officially put you two in an arranged marriage when he gets back, but I guess it's off the table now." Her father said dryly, earning laughs from the rest of her family. Hanabi can feel her face flushing up again as she curled up even more.

"Please don't talk about it. We are still too young for marriage."

"At least Hanabi is not denying any prospects of marriage with Haku-nii."

_"Nee-san."_

"Physically, the two of you are of age to be making ba-"

She promptly Vacuum Palm her cousin out of her room even without looking.

_"Don't. Say. Anything."_

"I'm going to set the arranged marriage such that the both of you are automatically considered married to each other when you turn fifteen. Consider yourself now engaged to him."

"You are joking." She sat up in shock upon hearing her father's words. _He wouldn't._ Haku will kill her!

"Of course, if any of you wants to back out, I'm not going to refuse, but I don't think the both of you would do anything like that."

"Otou-sama. You are joking, right?"

Her father simply pretended not to hear her as he looked at the ceiling and hummed a merry tune under his breath.

He has to be joking. Her father _never _hums a tune. Yeah, he's just joking.

"Haku-nii wouldn't be against it. He loves Hanabi too much." Hinata nodded along with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Is _no one_ on her side?

"You think we don't know that the two of you are already sleeping in the same room every night?" Her uncle laughed out loud. "The entire clan knew about it a long time ago!"

"Go away." Hanabi groaned as she buried her face in her hands. She should have known. There's _no way _anyone actually adhere to the clan's rules on using their dojutsu in the compound. There's no privacy here.

_Damn it,_ she really needs to get Haku on drawing up some privacy seals when he gets back. Surely he can invent _something _like that. Wait, didn't Crow's ANBU mask have such a seal to prevent the byakugan from seeing through it? Will he give her a copy of the seal if she asked him the next time she sees him?

"Nope. We are all going to make full use of this chance to tease you for as long as we can because Haku-nii's no fun at all." Hinata poked at her with a finger, that sly smirk still on her face. Damn it, why is her twin so damn perceptive when it comes to her?

"Don't you guys have packing or preparation to do? Shoo. Get out."

"Already done that. We are planning to spend some family time together until we have to gather for deployment." Neji answered smoothly. "Never thought we would stumble across that scene."

"_Arrrrgghhh_." Hanabi made another noise of frustration at the reminder as she threw pillows at them. "Fine! Do whatever you like! Laugh all you want! Arrgh! Damn it!"

Her family's laughter only grew even louder.

Stupid Haku.


	25. Chapter 25- Calm Before the Storm

**Conflict Arc**

There is about half an hour more to the time set where the advance party is supposed to meet up here in his office. He had done all he could to prepare Konoha for the next big war.

Minato sighed as he took a break from reading through the scrolls spread out on his desk. There are still far too many uncertain elements in his plan for anyone to be comfortable, but that's war for you. Nothing is certain. Still, he has confidence that this is the best plan that he and his fellow shinobis had come up with so far.

Now, all that is left is to execute it.

He let a smile rest on his face as he felt a familiar chakra signature quickly closing in on his location. Even without looking, he used his right hand to slide open the window behind his Hokage desk. A second later, an ice mirror appeared in front of his desk. In it is the reflection of his godson. He slowly stepped out of it, the ice mirror disappearing into thin air as he did so.

"You are here early." Minato commented with a smile on his face. "There's still half an hour left."

"I figured that since the meeting point stated was in your office and I felt no other chakra signatures in here other than yours, I should come over and talk to you for a bit before setting off." Haku stated as he slid his backpack off his shoulders and placed it on the floor. "Who knows when the next time where we can talk again will be."

"Actually, I'm part of the advance party too." Minato revealed. "So is Kushina."

As if right on cue, the door to his office opened.

"Minato! I thought I felt- Haku!" Kushina exclaimed in delight as she entered his office, already dressed in her shinobi gear. "I knew I wasn't imagining things when I felt your chakra here!"

"Both of you are in the advance party?"

"Yup!" Kushina said with a large grin. "This is going to be fun 'ttebane!"

"I beg to differ."

"Don't be such a spoilsport!" Kushina half-whined as she strong-armed Haku and tried to give him a noogie, only for him to shunshin himself away from her and place himself behind the chair Minato is sitting on.

"Haku!"

"What kind of seal array is that? It's very complicated." Haku quickly diverted the topic as he pointed to the scroll that Minato was reading just half a minute ago.

"The Edo Tensei." Minato replied truthfully as he sent a smirk at Haku, pretending to not notice his attempt in escaping Kushina's clutches. "Interested?"

"You are using it on the field?!" Haku exclaimed in shock.

"It's just a possibility." Minato admitted. "Everything single thing you see here is what my ANBU found when they ransacked Orochimaru's known hideouts in Oto immediately after the invasion."

Seeing Haku's slightly confused expression, Minato began to explain.

"Oto may have nothing much of value to offer, but Orochimaru is Konoha's missing nin. He had stolen and hoarded numerous Konoha forbidden techniques that we absolutely cannot let fall into enemies' hands. After Kizashi killed him Oto is now longer that much of a threat, but the value of his hoarded jutsus and research data is something any village will want to get their hands on. One of the first things we did right after the invasion was to send a team of ANBU to retrieve or destroy what they can from Orochimaru's hideouts after Kizashi had killed him."

"And considering Oto is relatively nearer to Kumo, geographically wise, it seems a wise decision to clear Orochimaru's hideouts of his research data and recorded jutsus before Kumo was reminded about what Orochimaru could have hidden in his den." Haku caught on quickly. "If Kumo happened to get their hands on Edo Tensei by stealing it from one of Orochimaru's hideouts…"

"Things will go very bad for us." Kushina stated factually with her hands on her hips.

"So, want to have a look?" Minato mischievously dangled the scroll detailing Orochimaru's improved version of the Edo Tensei in front of Haku.

"Can I?"

"Are you doubting the words of your Hokage? Do I hold such little authority as the village's leader in your eyes?"

Haku rolled his eyes and promptly took the scroll offered. His eyes immediately quickly read through what was on the scroll.

"Thoughts?" Minato asked like how he usually did when he taught Haku during their lessons. Haku is a bright child. He may not be as capable as him or Kushina when it comes to inventing a whole new seal from scratch, but he does have a knack for modifying existing seals to serve a whole new purpose. That Copy Seal of his says it all.

"Theory wise, the seal work involved is not that hard to understand, even if the part on souls and the Pure World still eludes me." Haku admitted. "But what fascinates me more is the Control Seal used to control the resurrected soul. It allows the user to control the resurrected shinobi simply by implanting the seal in their brain. Imagine if we could do it to live people instead of zombies."

"That just got dark all of a sudden." Kushina remarked with a look of surprise. "Haku, you alright?"

"This whole jutsu is morbid in the first place." Haku retorted as he waved the scroll in his hand at them. "But seriously, think about it, the application of this Control Seal the Nidame invented. Part of why the Edo Tensei is so scary is because the user can opt to gain full control of the resurrected soul whenever he wishes. There's no backlash because of this seal, the user doesn't need to worry about the souls betraying him. I admit the Nidaime's findings on souls and the Pure World are groundbreaking, but seals wise, the Control Seal he invented is the revolutionary one."

"Why do you suggest using the Control Seal on live people?" Minato asked in curiosity. "And if so, how would you apply it? The seals can be implanted into the brain of the resurrected souls because their physical bodies are technically made of dust and ash, but it's different for living people. You would kill them even before you can implant it into them."

"I'm saying this because Konoha is now at a clear disadvantage in this international conflict with Kumo. Even the children on the streets can see that." Haku got straight to the point. "Yes, we have the most number of S Rank shinobis among the Big Five but troops wise, Kumo has the clear numerical advantage. And what if Iwa joins in? I'm very sure Iwa still holds immense hatred for Konoha due to the Third War. Our two jinchurikis are not ready. If Iwa and Kumo joined forces, we will be facing _three _of those chakra monsters. We need a way to boost our numbers, fast."

"And using it on living people will help because…"

"I mean we can use it on whatever Kumo or Oto shinobis that are unlucky enough to be caught by us." Haku said in a flat voice. "To win a fight as fast as possible, the key is to take away the enemy's will to fight as quickly as you can. Turning their own allies against them will do that. Imagine if your enemies become your puppets, imagine a puppet army made up of living humans. Your enemies cannot cut them down easily, because the people they are facing are their loved ones who are still alive. If we can capitalise on-"

"Haku." Minato said in a warning tone. "That's a dangerous territory you are treading on there. There are limits that we Fuinjutsu users should _never _venture to."

"Then explain _this_." Haku held up the Edo Tensei scroll for the two of them to see. "I don't see anybody giving Senju Tobirama shit for inventing this piece of genius crap despite the immorality of it. Why? Is it because he is a _Senju?_ Need I remind everyone that _this _jutsu, his very own creation, was the one that very recently took the life of our _Third Hokage?_"

"Trust me, the Nidame got a lot of criticism from the village itself for inventing the Edo Tensei. The only reason people accepted it back then was because at that time, Konoha was just founded and we had many enemies. We were too weak and unstable back then, which was why the village needed a jutsu like that. Once our crisis was resolved the Nidame sealed the Edo Tensei and it was never seen or heard again until Orochimaru stole it." Minato explained as he tried his best to dissuade his godson from modifying the existing Edo Tensei. He is sure that somehow, given enough time, Haku will be able to find some way to turn his vision of using the Control Seal to control living people if he is motivated enough to do so. However, that is not something he wishes to see him do.

If Haku can really control living people as easily as how Orochimaru controlled their deceased First and Second Hokage, then not just the whole world will fear him, even Konoha's populace will fear him. That will not bode well for him considering his already shaky position in the village. Nobody would want to be someone else's helpless puppet the moment a seal is slapped onto him with no way to remove it.

The whole world will be really against Haku if he really made his idea a reality. There's no way he can protect his son like that, even if he is now Hokage.

"If I recall correctly, your Flying Thunder God was also invented by the Second Hokage."

"Yes."

"You used it to massacre at least a thousand shinobis from Iwa in the Third War, bringing the war to a close. Your deed was one of the deciding factors to push Onoki to accept the peace treaty Konoha offered."

"That is true."

"Is the Flying Thunder God not as deadly as the Edo Tensei? Which jutsu killed more, Edo Tensei or the Flying Thunder God?" Haku questioned. "I don't see a damn difference in the circumstances from when the Nidame first used the Edo Tensei to protect the village, to when you used the Flying Thunder God to massacre Iwa's force, and our current situation. Face it. We are currently in _war_, tou-chan, and of _all times _you are telling me to steer away from exploring the limits of seals because of _morality _issues, it is _now?_ Are you even hearing yourself?"

"If the person doing the Edo Tensei, or controlling living people through seals like what you proposed, is **_you_**, then I will not allow it." Minato put his foot down sternly. "Firstly, this will garner you unnecessary international attention simply because of the potential chaos your idea may present to the world. Secondly, your position in the village is already shaky as it is. For your sake and everyone else's, it's best that we don't make it worse."

"Do I look like I _care _about the 99% of the village's population that I don't know or don't care about?"

**"But WE do!"** Minato snapped back. "People do irrational and stupid things when they are in fear! We don't want them to be in fear of **_you!_** We don't want you to get yourself harmed by our own comrades, simply because they fear what you can do! Look at Orochimaru! He's a byproduct of that fear and it was what encouraged him to drive himself out of the village and become one of our worst criminals! You blew everyone's expectations away when you grew too strong, too fast. While we are proud of your achievements as a fellow shinobi of Konoha, many others don't see it the same way because _they don't know you!_ All they know about you is a genin who risked the safety of the village to save one girl by unleashing a Tailed Beast into the village! Just help me help you to protect you, damn it!_"_

Minato dragged a tired palm across his face. He instantly regretted that outburst the moment the words left his mouth. The accumulated stress of suddenly finding himself becoming Hokage, the war, and his family must be taking his toll on him.

"Alright, I'm cutting this argument off right here." Kushina stepped in with a firm voice. "Haku, leaving your idea of using the Control Seal of the Edo Tensei on living people aside, it is hard for Minato to even convince the dissenters of letting you remain as a shinobi of Konoha. If it wasn't for your powers and the current circumstances the village is in you wouldn't be let off so easily. Also, like Minato said, there are areas which we seal practitioners should never venture. Grandma Mito was very unhappy about the Nidame's Edo Tensei, that much I know. She gave him a lot of flak for it."

"Sorry." Haku apologised. "But… I really don't want to see anybody that I care about die in front of me. If by damning our enemies means a higher chance of us all returning back alive, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"I apologise too." Minato said sincerely. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, but my point still stands."

"Then all is well!" Kushina clapped her hands happily before forcefully ruffling his hair. "Don't worry too much, Haku. Minato and I are both S Rank shinobis, it takes a lot to put us down. And if anybody dares to hurt you, they have to face me first 'ttebane! It's a mother's job to protect her children no matter what!"

"Please don't say 'no matter what'. I don't want to hear that. I rather you live." Haku muttered darkly, the temperature in the room dipping a little as he said that.

"Let's not talk about those bad things that might not even happen." Minato tried to lighten the mood as he tossed a book at Haku, which he caught on reflex.

"This is…?"

"Orochimaru's journal." Minato supplied helpfully. "It is riddled with seals after seals though. Konoha is in no rush to find out what is written in it because, well, we have more urgent things to do right now and the seals on it will give even me and Kushina a very hard time. I decided that I might as well leave it up to you to crack it in your spare time. Consider it as a test to see how far you had really gone in the sealing arts."

"I see, this ought to be fun." Minato smiled when he saw that faint twinkle of interest in his son's eyes. Haku had always loved challenges like these.

"What's your view on this upcoming war?" Minato asked his son as the family of three, excluding Naruto for the moment because she isn't here. His son always does have some great insight in things that people tend to miss. He could go far as a shinobi. His strength and mind is something that can possibly make him a Kage one day, if he does want to be one.

If only he could get accepted by the village.

"From what I'm allowed to know and what I overheard in the clan compound, Kumo supposedly bullied the smaller countries around it, like the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Springs to play a part in this war as well, yes?"

Upon hearing his son's question, Minato nodded. Haku continued talking after seeing his response.

"Those two smaller countries don't have much of an army in the first place, they probably aren't playing an active role in this conflict. Most likely, Ay used Kumo's status as a Big Five to force them to give his troops entry so that Kumo can cross their borders to reach the Land of Fire. Maybe he would bully them to provide Kumo's troops supplies as well, that I'm not too sure but it won't come as a surprise to me. I checked around while I was cooped up at home and after some digging, I feel that Ay is making such a big effort to fuel this conflict because this is the best way for Kumo to flourish. To Ay, it is in Kumo's best interests to spark the fear of the bigger nations among the smaller ones. Take Frost and Hot Springs for example. If a way breaks out, they _have _to find support from Kumo because they are neighbours. If not Kumo, then who? Kumo benefits from this if those two keep relying on Kumo to protect them. It is in Kumo's best interests to keep this conflict going because their economy runs a lot more smoothly if everybody keeps fighting without rest. I told you before, tou-chan, this world is wrong if it is run by spilling the blood of others. Shinobis are always the one who ruin everything. This economy is not sustainable. This is why we will never have peace."

Minato sighed. It is a splendid observation on Haku's part, but his son's animosity towards shinobis is still something he wishes he can help reduce or eliminate.

Then again, this insight alone tells him enough that given time, Haku might have what it takes to be a leader on the level of a Kage. He has an eye for things, for cause and effect. Naruto wants to be Hokage and while he has no doubts that his daughter can achieve her dreams someday, she cannot do it alone. She needs people by her side, like how he was by Kizashi's side.

He knows Haku will sooner leave the village than to be Hokage, but he feels that Haku will make a great advisor to Naruto. His practicality and pessimism will balance out Naruto's idealism and optimism. Dark and light. It's a little like how Danzo and Hiruzen used to work together. It's a perfect balance.

Now all he has to do for his son is to get him to be truly accepted by Konoha. This war is not something he likes, but it may be an opportunity for Haku to redeem himself in the eyes of the populace. A person's will and worth is forged through fire, through blood, sweat and tears. It is something every S Rank shinobi will have to go through to get there.

He cannot explain why he felt this way, but he just knows that this war is Haku's trial by fire.

Minato let out a mental sigh. He knows casualties are inevitable in this coming conflict but hopefully, this time, the only people who has to pay any form of price is Kumo.

He already lost his best friend. He doesn't know what he will do if he loses someone else close to him again.

* * *

The advance party is really… _advanced_.

"Thank you for being on time." My godfather addressed us as we kneeled in front of him. Like us, he is also in the advance party. I don't know if we are here to act as his guards or if the mission assigned to the advance party is so important that the Hokage himself has to be here.

Given what I know in this world and about canon, I recognised every single shinobi gathered here. All of them are powerful in their own right. Yamanaka Fu, who is definitely ANBU Boar given that they both exude identical chakra. Aburame Torune, also another canon character and like Fu, weren't they both from ROOT? Is ROOT still a thing here?

I see _Uchiha Itachi_ and Uchiha Fugaku. I see my godmother and Rin. I also spotted Yamato. I'm definitely the youngest in the group.

The nine of us make up the advance party. We are a team of shinobis who are at least A or S Rank in strength. This lineup is probably one of the strongest and most balanced lineups Konoha can currently muster. Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Senju. Combined with my skill set, it's not hard to imagine what our mission will be.

I'm very sure that we will be the ones to face Bee.

Per protocol, we quickly checked through our gear one last time as a team. After that, my godfather quickly briefed us about our mission. Our Intelligence Division had purposely leaked news of our Hokage personally going to war and the location which he is going to be at. Given what they know of Ay's personality, there's a high chance that he too will move to intercept my godfather.

Our objective is to end the tension between Konoha and Kumo within a week at the longest. The way we are going about it is to capture Ay. If we can do that, the probability of a world war happening will lessen drastically because Konoha would have proved that the invasion had not weakened it in the slightest. The status quo between the villages is still the same. Hence, picking a fight with us through a war will not result in favourable consequences for anyone. If we meet this objective, we would win ourselves a deterrence through a display of strength. War can then be possibly averted.

For this mission, me, my godmother, Yamato, and the Uchiha duo are in charge of putting Bee down. Obito will be there to assist us as well. My godfather, Rin, and the ROOT duo will fight the Raikage. The three of them are his guards. We will make our move by bombing the largest Kumo troops stationed near us to force Ay to come out. Our Hokage will personally make a show out of it. If Ay is already there at the border, then all the better. We will simply capture him to end this conflict immediately.

I don't know if this means the start of a Fourth Shinobi World War, but it's not my place to question.

My godfather is planning to swiftly end the war even before it starts by catching Ay prisoner, thereby forcing his troops to retreat and then forcing him to sign a peace treaty. If we take out another significant portion of his forces while we are at it, that's fine too. They have invaded Konoha, so we will do something similar in kind to send the world a message that Konoha is not to be trifled with. Anyone who wants to hurt us will have to be prepared to get hurt in return.

Suna had pledged their support but frankly, nobody is expecting anything out of them. Everyone is simply going to assume that we are on our own. Iwa didn't make any official stand on their position but another battalion where Guy and Asuma are currently stationed is watching them. If things go south, they are our backup.

Our main army will move out from the village at dawn tomorrow and they will separate themselves into two groups. A portion will join Guy's battalion, a larger one will move to Obito's battalion. Already, all existing troops that were near Obito's battalion had convened at his location to form a division. All of this is purposely made clear for the world to see so that the news will reach Ay's ears. The more convinced Ay is that Minato is going to personally launch a full scale attack on Kumo and is going to the frontlines, which is the border of the Fire Country, the higher the probability of Ay appearing on the battlefield as well.

In short, Minato is making himself the bait to lure Ay out. News of the Copy Seal allowing Konoha to drastically increase production of their explosive tags and sealing scrolls had also been purposely leaked out little by little to give Ay a sense of urgency, that if he wants to win a fight against Konoha, he can do only two things.

The first is to stop us before we accumulate too much war resources in the form of exploding tags and sealing scrolls all thanks to the invention of my Copy Seal. That means that Ay will have to fire the first shot. That means that he will also have to go to the frontlines. The second is to wait it out until his village manages to steal the seal design of the Copy Seal somehow, which in my opinion is just a matter of time but given Ay's character, he probably won't give Konoha any more time to prepare.

In my godfather's opinion, Ay will definitely choose to act first the moment he heard about the Copy Seal. And if news of Konoha's Yellow Flash suddenly choosing to head to the frontlines reached Ay's ears?

Ay _will _make a move.

And if Ay makes a move?

I'm sure _Darui_ will be there.

Darui better pray that he will never meet me on the battlefield. I made damn sure to prepare against his slew of lightning techniques given what I know about his abilities. In another life, I might have liked him as a character.

Here, I won't hesitate to murder him in the most _painful _way possible.

* * *

Reaching the battlefield was easy. Minato teleported us into a tent where Obito and Kakashi were waiting for us. Obito gave my godfather a rundown on what happened here so far, which is nothing much since nobody fired the first shot yet.

We were soon dismissed so that we could take a short break to prepare for the big battle ahead. My obnoxious sensei wasted no time in trying to annoy me the moment we were dismissed.

"My dear Haku-chan! Miss your dear sensei?"

"No."

"Come on! Don't be so cold!"

Rin let out a laugh as she joined us. My godparents are discussing something within the tent so we left to give them some privacy. We soon join the Uchiha father-son pair at a corner of the encampment, sitting ourselves around a campfire. I don't know where the ROOT duo and Yamato had disappeared to. Night had fallen and the sun had just set but that doesn't mean we can relax. Nighttime is always the most dangerous period out in the field.

"Fugaku-sama, you here too? Yo, Tachi-kun! How's Shisui and Izumi?"

So those two Uchihas do exist.

"They are well, thank you for asking." Itachi replied in a monotonous tone while Fugaku simply replied with the Uchiha grunt. "I heard you and Rin-san are…?"

"Yep!" Obito gave a large grin that stretched from ear to ear. Rin's face flushed a mild red as she shyly held his hand.

Wait a minute. Why are they acting like that? They look like… Are they really going to…?

Oh,_ they totally are._

"Sensei. You didn't bother to inform any of us about this?"

"Eh, I kind of forget?"

"Don't expect any gifts from us then."

"H-Hey! It's an honest mistake! _Honest mistake_, I swear!"

I gave my sensei the flattest look I have while munching on my fruit bar. Fugaku actually deign us worthy of a snort. Miracle.

"When is it?" I asked Rin instead, choosing to ignore Obito entirely.

"After the war." Rin smiled back at me. "We are planning to get married after the war."

"Congratulations." I congratulated them sincerely. "But considering it's sensei you are marrying to, you still have some time to back out from this if you have any doubts. Are you sure you want to marry a man-child?"

"HAKU-CHAN! DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR DEAR SENSEI!"

"Sasuke told me that you invented a seal that can alter one's perception of reality." Itachi saved Obito when he interrupted the conversation. Huh, come to think of it, the Perception Seal's capabilities sound a lot like what the Tsukuyomi can do. No wonder he's interested.

But if Shisui's still alive, did this Itachi unlock the mangekyo sharingan? Maybe he doesn't even have it. Does he?

"To be more precise, it's a seal array. But yes, I call it the Perception Seal because it can hijack and control how your target's mind interprets reality." I answered Itachi's question after some thought. Sitting right before me here is Kishimoto's interpretation of the 'Perfect Shinobi'. Itachi is the embodiment of what Kishimoto thinks being a shinobi is all about, to give his all to the village from the shadows without asking anything in return.

Despite canon Itachi's poor choices when it comes to canon Sasuke, I can respect the dedication he has to the village.

"Like a genjutsu." Fugaku commented. "Some of our clansmen who are masters of the sharingan can do something similar through visual genjutsu. You did it with seals."

"It's not feasible for combat." I downplayed the abilities of my Perception Seal in case the prideful Uchihas felt 'threatened' by my Perception Seal for whatever stupid reasons. Clan politics are a headache and a half and I really don't want to get involved. It's not like my Perception Seal has anything on their precious Tsukuyomi or Kotoamatsukami. It's not at that level even if it sounds like it.

"The Perception Seal only works if the target cannot remove the seals you stick on them and even then, you have to control them using a complex seal array. That's why I only tested it out for interrogation purposes in the T&I. You don't have the luxury of time in using it on the battlefield. It's too cumbersome."

"Eh? You did what now, Haku-chan?" Obito-sensei ruffled my hair roughly, which earned him a glare from me. "What kind of crazy things were you up to when poor old me got posted to this wasteland? Did you and nabi-chan do any hanky panky- WOAH!"

I sent spikes of ice after him as per usual, cutting him off. I don't want to think about what she last did to me right now. I'm not ready to deal with it yet.

"Eh? Did I hit a nail on the head?" Obito gasped exaggeratedly. "WAIT A SEC. DID YOU AND NABI-CHAN-"

The surrounding temperature dropped drastically, prompting my sensei to keep his mouth _shut_.

_Finally._

Kushina appeared from within the tent. She looked at Obito, who had climbed up a nearby tree to escape my wrath, then at the surrounding frost around us.

She decided to ignore it. Wise choice.

"I will be leading the Hachibi Suppression Squad. Where's Yamato?"

On cue, a figure emerged from within a tree near us.

"Sorry, Kushina-sama. Kakashi-senpai called me over to help him with a few things."

"It's fine. Build us something to sleep in, Yamato. I will go through our plans to deal with Bee while we are at it. Obito, stop being a child and get _down _here."

A wooden hut big enough for the six of us to fit in comfortably sprang up from the ground. Rin had excused herself since she is not part of the Suppression Squad.

"Now that we have Obito with us, things are going to be different." Kushina got straight into the heart of the topic as we gathered around her. She had stuck a Light Seal above her to act as a light source so we can all see each other in the dark. "When Obito and I fought against Bee during the invasion, we realised that while genjutsus are a good way to make him take a brief pause, it never really worked. The Hachibi within Bee simply breaks him out of any genjutsu. In any case, genjutsus are still a must because no matter how short, it still takes time for Bee to release himself from a high level genjutsu. Fugaku, Itachi, I leave the genjutsu part to both of you."

Kushina then turned to Yamato and I.

"In his fully transformed state, Bee's tails are extremely dangerous. Yamato and I are going to focus on restraining his tails with my chains and his wood. Haku, I need you to fully explain the snow thing you did during the invasion. I don't think you have told me about it yet and I want to be absolutely clear about your current abilities before I can draft up a complete plan."

"Ice Release Forbidden Art: Hyōten Hyakkasō. That is the name of the technique." I promptly explained my forbidden jutsu as my godmother asked. "Anybody who I deem an enemy and who comes into contact with my snow will have ice flowers blooming on their body. These flowers grow by absorbing their chakra. Think of it as a very chakra-hungry leech. It will only stop growing when there is no more chakra to feed on. If my chakra reserves get low, I can always reabsorb the ice formed by this jutsu to replenish any chakra lost."

"Crazy jutsu you have there, but I like it. It's perfect against chakra monsters like Bee." Kushina grinned. "Alright, you are in charge of making sure your snow keeps falling on him and Kumo's troops. It will wear them out way faster. Obito, you are in charge of making sure Bee's annoying Tailed Beast Ball never hits anything. Of course, the best situation will be that we can suppress Bee even before he can transform, but I doubt Bee will give us that chance."

"I heard he's a skilled Kenjutsu user." Itachi stated.

"He is." Kushina nodded in affirmation. "He's very scarily good with those pointy things. Avoid going close if possible. None of us are that good at close combat as compared to him."

"If it comes down to it, I have a jutsu called the Amaterasu. It summons eternal black flames that will not stop burning until the target is destroyed. It cannot be extinguished and it doesn't differentiate friends from foe, so refrain from touching it." Fugaku spoke up. "It also puts a heavy strain on my eye so I would like to leave it as a last resort, but it is always an option."

"If push comes to shove, I have the Susanoo." Obito added. "But yeah, it does place a very heavy strain on the eyes and my body too. If Susanoo fails, I'm very much a liability."

"Susanoo?" Yamato asked curiously. "Some sort of Fire Release?"

"No. Susanoo summons a giant chakra avatar to fight for you. It's a secret Uchiha jutsu that only a few in our clan's history ever manage to use its full form, let alone master it." Fugaku shook his head as he explained. "The price to use it is the user's gradual descent to blindness although Obito had circumvented it to a certain extent. Still, that kind of jutsu is really a last resort. It is not something to be used casually."

"If you need anything big, I have a jutsu called the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō. It allows me to create a giant warrior made of ice. It's chakra costly, but at least there's no other side effects."

"I cannot do anything as impressive with the Wood Release, but I should be able to create a few wood golems if you guys need anything big." Yamato offered.

"Then there we have it." Kushina wrapped up the meeting. "Remember, the whole point of this hubbub is to capture Ay. We don't really need to defeat Bee, we just have to hold him long enough for Minato to capture Ay and force him to agree to withdraw his troops and to end this stupid standoff. Iwa probably won't want to get involved with this mess and even Shikaku thinks that the odds of them joining are low, so don't worry too much. The six of us are more than capable of bringing Bee down."

Kushina stood up and dusted her hands.

"Alright, that's it for today. Catch some rest, we will be sieging the Kumo nins in three hours. Until then, get some sleep. We will all need it."

After we acknowledged her words, my godmother walked out of the wooden hut, presumably to talk to my godfather. Each of the members of the Suppression Squad began to find a spot to lay down and rest for the night. I picked a corner and lay on the floor as I closed my eyes.

_"I… I'll wait for you." _

No. Not now. I have no idea what to think about it and how to reply to her.

_"I-I don't need an a-answer from you. I already know what it is."_

Stupid brain of mine.

_"Just don't die!"_

I won't.

_"But if y-you c-can givemeananswerbythetimeyougetback-"_

Didn't she say that she already knows what my answer is?

My right hand reached out to the empty spot where my mother's pendant used to hang around my neck.

It's with her now.

That's my answer.


	26. Chapter 26- Moments Before Chaos

"Haku-chan~ Wakey wakey~"

"Can you not wake me up using such a disgusting tone?" I grumbled as I slapped away Obito's offending finger in his attempt to poke my cheek. I sat upright and briefly estimated the time of day by looking at the colour of the sky. It's still dark.

"How long have I slept?"

"Slightly over two hours." Obito replied cheerfully. "Thought you would like to wake up earlier to warm up before heading in for the big fight. Ain't I a thoughtful sensei?"

"Yes, yes, whatever you say." I replied as I stood up and gave a brief glance in the wooden hut. Seems like I'm the last one to wake up. Nobody else is here.

"Is there anything I need to help out with?"

"Well, not necessarily, but I was on my way to help sensei deliver a secret written order to the Logistics Department." Obito hummed as he took out a scroll from his pouch. "Why? Interested?"

"It's better than sitting around and doing nothing, and I do want to get the sleepiness out of my body. Might as well familiarise myself with the layout of the camp while we are at it." I said as I took the scroll from my sensei's hands and put it in my pouch instead.

"Aww~ My Haku-chan has became such a dependable shinobi~ You grow up too fast~"

My annoying sensei began to mock weep as he began to wipe away the non-existent tears that are supposed to stream down his cheeks. I simply ignored him as I walked out of the wooden hut. Now, which tent belongs to the Logistics Department?

* * *

"It's you."

A boy my age looked at me with disdain. I recognised him after a few seconds of thought. Wasn't he in my year at the academy? Like me, he's one of those who graduated with the Rookie 15. What was his name again?

"Raisho." I greeted him. Ah, that's his name. I remember now, he used to be one of Tai's lackeys. That explains the animosity.

"Hmph, don't act all chummy with me." Raisho scoffed as he got back to work and moved boxes of supplies in the large tent he was in. "What are you here for? Kunais? Shurikens? What?"

"I'm here to deliver an order from Command to whoever is in charge here." I responded as I took out the scroll that I offered to help deliver. "Just point me in his or her direction and I'll be on my way."

"Junichii-san isn't here right now, but he usually isn't gone for long." Raisho replied in a gruff voice. "Heard you became some big shot during the invasion. Took on Suna's jinchuriki in the Third Stage of the exams, fought the fucking flaming cat and sealed it in the Hyuga. How much of it is true?"

"I don't know what you heard but yes, I did what you just mentioned." I said as I made myself comfortable by sitting on the top of one of the wooden boxes that he is not moving. I don't know who Junichii is, but I should at least wait until he returns. The order that I am supposed to deliver to him is probably important and it is best to deliver to him personally.

"Fuck you then. Because of you, my sister and I no longer have our apartment. Got destroyed when the cat went ballistic when you tried to do your shit on it."

Oh, that happened?

"Sorry."

I didn't really mean it because I couldn't be bothered. Still, I should at least apologise out of basic courtesy.

"I don't give a rat's ass about your apology, _outsider_." Raisho sneered. "I have no fucking clue how the fuck the village didn't execute you for your traitorous behaviour, but I'm willing to bet that broken bloodline of yours is the reason. Fucking hell, who on earth thought that an _outsider _will actually care about Konoha and fight for our Will of Fire? Look what happened, he fucking released a _Tailed Beast _into Konoha!"

I didn't bother to make a reply, but Raisho seemed to take this as a cue to continue his rant.

"Our _oh-so-very-precious_ Ice Release, the _one and only_ in Konoha. If somebody like me were to do what you did, I would have been offed by the village for threatening her well-being a long time ago. Why? Because orphans like me are _disposable_. Look at me now, a genin doing grunt work. _Logistics department_. The place where _cannon fodders_ gather."

Technically speaking, he's not wrong. This is the harsh truth of a shinobi village.

"You're lucky we are at war now. The village needs every kind of power she needs and you happened to be one of them, that's the only reason why you are kept alive. And you know what is going to happen to you once this war is over, assuming you are still alive? The village will whore you out, pimp you with a fuck ton of women to build a Yuki clan in Konoha. That Hyuga is on your team, isn't she? She's definitely the first person the village will whore to you-"

I froze him into an iceberg, only leaving his head untouched so that he could breathe. I don't have the patience for this and I will not stand anyone insulting her.

"You can throw insults at me all day long and I won't even care, but direct that to her and I won't hesitate to kill you."

"See? _This _just proves my damn point, _outsider_." Raisho wheezed with a deranged grin. "No matter what you do Konoha just won't kill you, because you are _lucky _enough to have a unique kekkei genkai. But you know what? The moment the whores they send you start popping little Yukis left and right you will no longer be as important to the village. Just _wait _for it, _outsider_. When the day comes where you are no longer the only one in the village to have the Ice Release, they will find a convenient excuse to remove you. Nobody wants an unstable and unloyal shinobi in their ranks, _outsider_. Your little Yukis will be true Konoha shinobis, but _never _you. You _never _belonged here, _Kiri scum_. I'll **_never _**acknowledge an outsider like you. _Nobody will._"

"Good thing I don't need your acknowledgement then."

_"Don't need my acknowledgement?"_ Raisho gritted his teeth before shouting at me. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, KIRI SCUM?! YOU THINK YOU ARE SOME BIG FUCK BECAUSE YOU CAN CREATE FUCKING ICE CUBES?! YOU ARE ONLY AS VALUABLE AS THE RARITY OF YOUR STUPID ICE RELEASE! KONOHA DOESN'T NEED SHITSTAINS LIKE YOU WHO JEOPARDISE THE SAFETY OF THE VILLAGE FOR SHIT AND GIGGLES! DO YOU KNOW HOW CLOSE MY SISTER WAS TO DYING WHEN YOU RELEASED THE FUCKING CAT IN THE VILLAGE?! **DO YOU?!** SHE LOST A LEG TO ESCAPE FROM YOUR STUPID MOVE! A DAMN **LEG**, YUKI! YOU GIVE HER LEG BACK! **GIVE IT BACK!** SHITS LIKE YOU SHOULD BE EXECUTED FOR TREASON! WHORE YOU OUT LIKE A FREAKING PRIZED STALLION SO THAT WE CAN MOULD LITTLE YUKIS WHO WILL HAVE ABSOLUTE LOYALTY TO THE VILLAGE! KONOHA DOESN'T NEED INCONSIDERATE BASTARDS LIKE YOU! I HOPE YOU GO AND DIE IN OUR WAR AGAINST KUMO, BASTARD! HURRY UP AND DIE ALREADY!"

"Is that it?" I asked when Raisho paused to catch his breath.

"Oh hell NO! I'm not done with you yet you fucking ice bastard! You destroyed my damn house that I worked so hard to get for my sister and I! Do you know how shitty it is to sleep without a roof over our heads, _huh?!_ Do you know how _hard _I worked to get ourselves a damn house?! Of course you don't! You live comfortably with the Hyugas in the fucking big mansion! What do you know about poverty?! YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH! THE KIND OF SHITTY LIFE WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE BORN INTO A RICH FAMILY OR POSSESS A STUPID KEKKEI GENKAI! So get out of my damn sight, outsider! You bring nothing but bad luck to the village! You think I'm the only one who thinks this way? Go out and ask around! Find out for yourself _how many_ of our people you nearly killed for that stupid stunt!"

"Who is more important, your sister or the village?" I asked, trying my best not to kill him straightaway.

"Huh? Don't you dare dodge my question, Yuki bastard. You better pray that I would never get stronger than you, or the first thing I'll do-"

"Your sister or the village, which is more important to you?"

"Fuck-"

_"Answer."_ I let out a little of my killing intent to give him some pressure. "If your sister is dying right now and the only way to save her is to sacrifice the villagers, who would you choose to save? Your sister, or the villagers?"

"I'LL FIND A FUCKING WAY TO DO BOTH!"

"Alas, reality is often disappointing. Even someone as strong as Hatake Sakumo did have to make a choice, didn't he? He chose his comrades over the village. I chose Hanabi over the village. So what about you? You are a loyal shinobi of Konohagakure, aren't you? So you would choose the village over your sister?"

"There's no way I'm gonna sacrifice my sister! I fucking told you, I'll find a way to do both!"

"And yet here you are, a lowly genin who I can kill at any moment with just a thought. Are you sure you can live up to your claim? If your sister is dying by my feet right now I'm pretty sure you would not be as loud. Shall I test it out the moment we return back to Konoha?"

For a moment, Raisho's facial expression is one of fear.

"Listen, Kiri scum. If you _dare _touch her-"

"But the village won't execute me no matter what I do, that's what you told me. What does it matter if I kill a nameless civilian? As long as I work for the village I'm sure they are more than willing to turn a few blind eyes towards some of my traitorous behaviour. I did get away for releasing a Tailed Beast into Konoha."

"You-!"

"So, what is it?" I pressed on. "Come on, don't bore me. At this rate I might really go and find out for myself who your little sister really is and do whatever."

"Yuki-san. I suggest you release him."

Our eyes shifted to where that voice sounded from. Uchiha Itachi entered the tent, sharingan already activated. When he saw that I did nothing that suggested I would release Raisho from my ice anytime soon, he called my name once more.

"Yuki-san."

Recognising a way out when I see one, I reluctantly let Raisho go.

"Why are you here, Itachi-san?"

"I got word that you are here to find Junichii-san, who is currently at the opposite end of the camp. I'm simply here to redirect you to him."

"I see. Thank you." I replied as I made my way to exit this stupid place. Like hell Itachi will come all the way here to inform me that the Junichii guy isn't here. Someone of his rank and status has no need to do such a thing.

Whatever, I will take a way out when offered one. I don't want to go back and forth with the idiot that is Raisho.

I was about to take my leave when I turned back to face Raisho. Trust is a two-way street, so is understanding and pain.

"It's true that I will never understand what you and your sister went through because I didn't experience what you did, but don't presume that you understand _my _pain as well, because you never went through what _I've _experienced. When the day comes when you are forced to make a choice, you will realize that your words now don't matter. Right now, you already know what you would do if such a dilemma were to present itself. You just don't want to face it and acknowledge it, the harsh and dark truth that is buried in your heart. Don't be so naive as to think that your loyalty to the village will be appreciated by Konoha. We are merely shinobis, tools to the village. Our individual well-being is _meaningless_. Your sister's well-being is _meaningless _in the big picture. You said it yourself, you are nothing but cannon fodder."

I turned around and exited the tent. I heard the Uchiha heir following behind me.

"Is there anything else, Itachi-san?" I asked without looking back, my walking pace neither fast nor slow.

"May I ask why you think so lowly about the village and about village loyalty?"

I paused in my tracks, feeling my lips curl into a bitter smile. Huh, the great Uchiha Itachi asking _me _about village and loyalty? What am I, a saint with all the answers in the world?

I'm just another human being like them. Just another human being with the cursed luck of being born with a powerful bloodline and a little foreknowledge of what might happen in the future. Foreknowledge that had been rendered useless a long time ago. That is the limit of everything special about me.

"Raisho said it all. There's nothing the village sees me as but the last wielder of the Ice Release. I'm nothing but an _outsider_, an outsider that has something they want from me that they don't. I'm not blind nor am I dumb, Itachi-san. I am human just like everyone else, a human with feelings. Why should I place the village first when they never truly considered me as one of them? _Will of Fire? _Hah. So incredibly stupid and _naive_. That ideology is nothing but a method to brainwash and control the masses to fight and die for the village. If you truly want to control the masses there's nothing more effective than having them believe in a shared ideology. If Konoha populace doesn't see it, then they are either idiots who cannot recognise the Will of Fire for what it really is or they choose not to see it, foolishly believing that they are fighting for a greater cause when in fact their lives or deaths are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Madara was right to leave the village. He's a wise man, outsiders are never accepted in Konoha, or anywhere else in the world. The nail that sticks out always gets hammered down. Just take a look at Orochimaru. If what he told me was to be believed, he had once genuinely viewed this village as his home and worked hard to build it up. But his views and ways did not get accepted by Konoha and what resulted out of that? This bloody stupid war."

I turned back to face the Uchiha prodigy.

"You want to know why? Here, you have it. I no longer care if Konoha views me as one of their own anymore. I had tried to see myself as a Konoha shinobi but hardly anyone tried to accept me, so why should I try? I barely knew them. I no longer crave their recognition. There's only a few people that I truly care about here and they are all that matters to me. This village can go burn in hell for all I care."

I walked off, not bothering to see his reaction. Raisho really did say it all.

No matter what I do, to Konoha, I'll be nothing but an outsider.

Makes me wonder why I'm even in this world in the first place if there is no physical place that can accept me for who I am. The only place where I will be accepted with open arms is with her and of all places she had swore allegiance to it was to Konoha. That is a fact that I will have to accept because she means so much to me.

Sometimes, I really do hate my life.

* * *

"Oh, Haku-chan! You are back! Wait, why the gloomy face?"

"Happened to meet an acquaintance from my academy days. Had a little spat. Found out that I am the reason that his sister now has a missing leg during the invasion." Haku droned on as he sat himself down beside him in the tent. Obito raised his eyebrows in response.

"Do I need to help you hide any bodies? I do know a few good Earth Release jutsus."

"Itachi stopped me when I was contemplating on muting that acquaintance for good, so you have him to thank for."

"I know Tachi-chan was good for something." Obito sighed exaggeratedly. Nope, still no reaction from his cute little minion. Maybe if he bugged him more there will be a response?

"Haku-chan~"

"Sensei." His cute little minion replied back in a flat tone. "Aren't you supposed to be doing your rounds?"

"I sent my other minions to do the job!"

"Don't slack around and be lazy. Aren't you someone who aims to be Hokage, huh? Set a good example and go do what you are supposed to do."

"Haku-chan~"

"That doesn't work on me, and stop acting cute. Look at your age, it's disgusting. Yes, I mean that pout you are doing right now. In Kakashi-sensei's own words, not cute at all."

"Hey! I'm always cute!"

"Try that on Rin, not me. By the way, any updates on the situation that I should know?"

"Same old." Obito shrugged. "We wait for the stipulated time before we enact our plans, which is… in about half an hour's time? What do the old folks like to say to describe this period of time? Ah, that's it. The calm before the storm."

"Freaking hate this stupid war. Human greed really is an ugly thing."

"Aw, cheer up, Haku-chan!" Obito tried his best to cheer his moody student up as he gave him a loud pat on the back, earning him a scowl instead.

"Why don't you accompany your dear soon-to-be-Hokage sensei on his rounds instead of moping around here? If we want to set a good example we do it together? Some sensei-student bonding time? Eh?"

"You will be remembered not as the first Uchiha Hokage, but the first man-child Hokage." Haku clicked his tongue in annoyance, but stood up to leave with him without complaints. Obito can't help but grin. His student at least still respects him quite a fair bit after all the shit he's been through. It's a little heartwarming to be honest.

"Awww, you never doubted your dear sensei a second that he can be Hokage! How sweet!"

"Shut up. You are reading too much into my words."

"Are you sure I am?_ Really_ sure?"

"Very."

The two of them walked about the camp they are in, with Obito greeting people along the way. He knows a lot of people in their forces due to his extensive networking. As usual, his cute little Haku-chan couldn't be bothered to greet a single soul unless he knew them personally.

"See that row of trees and stones? That marks the official border of the Fire Country. Countless wars have been fought there since the start of time." He pointed to the scenery ahead of them that had been ravaged by war for decades, even before the founding of the shinobi villages.

"Stupid thing to do if you ask me." Haku remarked as he watched where Obito is pointing at from where they are at the edge of the camp after walking around the area. Obito watched as Haku let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes tiredly.

"Say, sensei?"

"Yeah?"

"This is just a what-if. But if, let's say, if there is a way for everybody else to feel everybody else's pain, do you think humans can understand each other? Like if Person A hurts Person B, Person A can feel the hurt they inflict on Person B? Do you think that wars will still happen if that is the case?"

"People will definitely at least think twice before trying to hurt someone, that's for sure." Obito gave a slight nod of his head while giving a thoughtful hum. "But what about if Person C pays Person A to hurt Person B? Person C wouldn't get hurt."

"Then I will find a way to make sure Person C will."

Obito did a double take when he heard the amount of determination in Haku's voice. He's hell bent on something and even when he is Haku's sensei, he has no idea what the hell it is.

"Haku-chan? You okay?"

"Never been better. Just had another wild idea that might or might not work. You know, the usual. Maybe only gods could save this world, if there is even one. Maybe this is something that really only the gods could do. Maybe the only way humans can learn to grow is really through shared pain."

"Okay, you know what? You are going to go back, get rid of all the negative thoughts, and then prepare for the big battle. You obviously don't sound okay." Obito said worriedly as Haku's expression got darker and darker. This is worrying.

"Since when are any of us okay?" Haku said with a scoff. "We are shinobis. We are _never _okay. Who on earth even tried telling everyone else that shinobis are _protectors? _We are nothing but tools of destruction. My views on shinobis still stays the same, we are the ones who bring about all the pain. I'm really starting to hate the Sage for spreading chakra like that, allowing it the chance to be weaponised without checks in place. I'm starting to hate the Shodai for giving Tailed Beasts out like that. Which part of giving Tailed Beasts out like candies sounds like a good idea, huh? Did he even _think _through it? Checks and balances are necessary, yes, I know, but Tailed Beasts aren't the answer. Tailed Beasts weren't the checks and balances back then and it still isn't even till now. Hashirama's presence was the check, there weren't any balances and that's why his presence became a deterrent. That's why there was a brief period of peace when he was still around. And the moment he died? Bam. First Shinobi World War. He checked and balanced the wrong thing entirely. The equation didn't even compute because he put in the wrong variables in the first place. God of Shinobi my ass."

"Hey hey, it's fine if it's just between the two of us, but don't go saying that in front of everybody else. This is the Shodai you are insulting."

"I will talk about him however I like. People already hate me anyway, what's the difference if the hate increases a little more?" Haku said as he rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with venom. "And don't get me started on the Nidame and his Edo Tensei. Brilliant piece of work from a scholar's standpoint, no doubt, but still a stupid move to invent such a technique and then not seeing to its destruction after his death. What makes him think playing with the cycle of life and death is a good idea? And then what was Konoha's first reaction when they learnt about the Edo Tensei? Applaud his genius for being able to play god. Nobody sees how wrong the jutsu is until it is used against them. Pffft. Irony at its finest when the Nidame was summoned by Orochimaru using the Edo Tensei. He deserves it."

"Haku-"

"Can you imagine what would happen if someone better than Orochimaru got their hands on the Edo Tensei? If there is someone capable of summoning an _army _of undead? Someone better than Orochimaru and instead of just two Hokages, he or she summoned an entire army of previous Kages and S Rank shinobis from times long past? Say, summon _Uchiha Madara? Summon the Sage of Six Paths himself? _Let me tell you, sensei, the world will be _doomed _if that is the case. With enough preparation, that person _alone _can fight against the world. That's how stupid the invention of the Edo Tensei is. Don't invent something that can be easily turned against you. It's common sense. For someone so smart Tobirama can be pretty dumb."

"You don't seem to like the Hokages very much."

"You know I hate everything and everyone in general. What's new?"

"While we are talking about the Nidaime, you invented the Copy Seal. You don't really have a right to talk considering the impacts it will have on this war."

"Unlike him, my seal wasn't meant to be used for war. It's meant to be used for reducing time when I'm doing my seal work on the Perception Seal and maybe help out with some paperwork. _You guys _decided to weaponise it without my consent. What does it say about shinobis? I'm right, aren't I? We just go about spreading all the pain like the messiahs of the God of Pain or something like that. This world is so royally fucked that I am starting to believe that it cannot be saved. At this rate I will just escape to the moon and live my life there alone. You guys can continue to kill yourselves down here on earth. See if I care."

"Did something happen? You are usually not this aggressive."

"Many things happened. Which ones are you referring to? When everything first started out when my Dad killed my Mum and then I killed everyone in the house in return that day? I still don't know why the hell he did that. And let's think about this rationally. _How _the hell did Hanabi even end up in Kiri in the first place? Yeah, sure, she was kidnapped by Kumo but let's look at the damn map. Kumo's way north of the Land of Fire. Okay, _northeast _if you want to be very technical. Kiri's way east and it is a freaking separate landmass on its own. It doesn't make any fucking sense for that Kumo shinobi to go to Kiri because it takes a long while to go to Kumo through Kiri. Did nobody ever think about this abnormality or is it just me?"

"We did." Obito deadpanned. "But we don't have answers beyond that's the only route he thought he could take. I mean, I was involved when the Hyuga Affair got blown up. We really locked our borders real tight. It was extremely difficult for anyone to sneak out of the Land of Fire and especially towards Kumo if they really wanted to."

"What bothered me was how the Kumo shinobi even got his hands on Hanabi. I know better than anyone what the byakugan is capable of after living with the Hyugas for so long. There's no way that Kumo shinobi could have possibly done it if even _I _managed to kill him at the age of _five_, even if I got extremely lucky due to the element of surprise. I didn't have shinobi training back then so I couldn't tell, but now I do. I now know enough that he's not that good to have infiltrated the compound by himself without getting caught."

Obito's eyes narrowed dangerously at the thought.

"You mean a traitor among the Hyugas. Someone gave nabi-chan to them or let them in somehow."

"That's my worst fear." Haku admitted. "But I don't have anything to follow up on, it's been too long. I only just thought about this problem recently when I had too much time on my hands to think about almost everything. Thankfully Hanabi will be living with Dan during this period, so she's safe. Even then, she has the cat with her. The cat will keep her safe."

"Does Hiashi know?"

"I made sure he did, he shares the same view but like I said, there is nothing for us to follow up on, so we can only leave it as it is. This is just between us for now. I don't want to spread needless fear in case it turns out to be wrong and I'm overthinking on things." Haku huffed before giving a groan as he facepalmed. "Urgh. This is giving me such a headache."

Obito can only give a comforting pat on his student's shoulder.

"I don't have answers for you, Haku-chan. Our experiences shape who we are. You think shinobis are tools of destruction because of what you've been through. I think shinobis are protectors because of what I've been through. You are not wrong in your thinking, but I don't think I'm wrong either. If I know a way to stop all the fighting for good I would have done so in a heartbeat, trust me. Nobody likes war, but there are some who think it is necessary."

"They think it is necessary because they are not the ones fighting the war themselves. Look at our Daimyos. What have they really done for their people? All they ever think about is their own safety and riches. They could care less who else lived or died. If I were god they would be the first people I would kill, no questions asked. They are a waste of space."

Obito sighed. He really has no answer to his student's rants because they are not unfounded. Not only that, his words alone are enough to charge him with treason. The shinobi villages are loyal to their country's Daimyos first and foremost, that was the condition given and agreed upon even before a shinobi village could be built in the country. It's the same everywhere.

"Feel better now that you've gotten everything out?" He asked his student, who merely scoffed.

"Not really, but I guess it does help a little."

"Then let's head back, okay? Rin would worry if I'm not back in time."

It's a weak excuse, but Haku listened to him nonetheless.

"Fine. Let's go. We need to prepare for the fight that is happening soon anyway."

* * *

The Hyuga compound is so uncharacteristically quiet now.

Sure, the Hyuga clan isn't very lively or noisy to begin with, but the silence right now is a lot more deafening. Whoever is left here in Konoha are largely the civilian clan members and a few shinobi clansmen who are mostly from the main house to help her father run things while he and her uncle are away.

With a bag full of storage scrolls slung across her shoulders, Hanabi gave her room one last look before exiting it and closing the door behind her. She has her orders. She is to report to Kato Dan, the interim Hokage in Minato's absence, and stay with him until this whole conflict is over. Naruto will be there as well, so at least it won't be awkward or lonely for her. Most of her time will be mostly occupied with training, be it to improve her skills as a shinobi or practicing how to properly harness Matatabi's powers. Either way, she has to get stronger as soon as possible. If not for herself, then for Haku. She cannot rely on him to bail herself out of difficult situations every single time.

She was about to step out of the Hyuga compound when she met the person who she really doesn't want to see right now.

"What do you want, Yoshida?"

Being one of the few Hyuga clansmen from the main house who is around her age, she knows Yoshida very well. His father, Hyuga Kida, was also a candidate for the position of Hyuga Clan Head alongside her father back in the days. The two adults never saw eye to eye on many things when it comes to clan affairs but it does not change the fact that Hyuga Kida is indeed the most capable person to manage the clan affairs while her father is out and away.

So, regrettably, the Hyuga clan is currently left in the care of Hyuga Kida during this period of time.

Hanabi never liked Yoshida and his father. Not only because Hyuga Kida kept trying to undermine her father's power as Clan Head, not only because they both have archaic views when it comes to managing the clan, not only because they despise clan members who are from the branch house, but also because they are both misogynists. Yoshida has a weird obsession with trying to put others down to make himself feel better. More specifically, he loves trying to put her down out of all the Hyugas in the clan for some weird reason. He even had the audacity to try to form an arranged marriage between the both of them through his father when he is worth less than the dirt stuck in her nails.

She does not need to possess Shikamaru's level of intellect to know what her fate will be should she get herself bound to Yoshida in an arranged marriage. That misogynist scum will definitely do everything within his power to make her life hell and force her to wait on him hand and foot. Just thinking about it makes her livid.

"Why? Not even going to report to my father that you are leaving the clan compound before walking out of it?" Yoshida said in a sneer. "As the Clan Head, he has the right to know when our jinchuriki goes in and out of here."

"_Interim_ Clan Head." Hanabi corrected Yoshida with a scowl. "Careful, Yoshida, what you just said can be held against you for treason. If you are here for this sole reason then buzz off. Your father already knows about this arrangement and what time I am supposed to report to Kato-san. You are going to cause me to be late."

She walked past him without sparing him a glance, only to feel Yoshida's hand grabbing her by her shoulder. Without hesitating, she grabbed hold of his wrist and flipped him around, disgusted that someone like him actually touched her.

Yoshida's fingers lashed out with chakra flaring right at his fingertips. She easily dodged it as they both activated their dojutsu at the same time. In the next instant, they both exchanged a series of quick blows before she nailed a palm strike right at the underside of Yoshida's chin, causing him to sail in the air for a short distance before landing on the ground on his back.

"Know your place, scum." Hanabi said coldly as she glared at Yoshida in disdain, byakugan still active, and dusted her hands. "I may be a jinchuriki, but I am also one of the heiresses of the Hyuga Clan. For someone who prides themselves for being from the main house your mastery of the Gentle Fist is pathetically low. Neji-niisan is miles ahead of you when it comes to using the Gentle Fist."

"Fuck you." Yoshida spat as he stood up once more while rubbing the underside of his chin with a hand. "There had never been a woman who had led the clan and there never will be one. A woman like you and Hinata has no business competing for the position of Clan Head. I am the one who will succeed the position of Clan Head and once I do, the first thing I'll do is to get rid of your boy toy from the- urk!"

"_Careful_, Yoshida." Hanabi growled as she lifted Yoshida up into the air by the neck using only a single hand. Yoshida can do nothing but flail helplessly because she had already sealed his tenketsu points earlier.

"Insulting me is one thing, insulting my family and Haku is _another_. I don't care about your pathetic pride and I sure could care less about your position in the clan, but sear this into that pathetic brain of yours. I _will _and I _can _kill you should I feel like it because_ I am a **jinchuriki**_. I can get away with many things simply because I _can_."

To emphasise her point, a shroud of blue flames started to manifest around her as her eyes started to change colour. Her right eye is now a bright yellow while her left eye is now a dark green, just like Matatabi's.

"**_Never_**. _Ever_. Test my patience."

With that final warning, she dropped a shivering Yoshida back onto the ground and walked off, only to quickly turn around to block a strike aimed at her neck as she got back into a combative stance. She clicked her tongue in annoyance when she saw who it was.

Hyuga Kida.

Yoshida's father may be a scum but unlike his useless son, that man is a truly skilled practitioner of the clan's Gentle Fist style. This is going to be difficult.

"I'm sure Hiashi-sama had taught you how to respect your elders, Hanabi." Hyuga Kida said in an unhurried tone as he stood in between her and Yoshida, his voice betraying nothing. "If he had failed to instill some manners into you then I'm afraid I will have to do it in his stead. Apologise to Yoshida, now, and I may let this slide."

"Both of you aren't **_fit_**." She spat in defiance. "If anything, it seems that _your _father failed to educate you on how to respect your betters. Is this how you greet the heiress of the clan? In that case I'm afraid that I will have to instil some manners into you in your father's stead."

The edge of Hanabi's lips curved upwards ever so slightly when she saw Hyuga Kida activating his byakugan in silent anger. The tension in the air grew thicker and thicker and she mentally apologised to her father because it is very likely that she might blow a hole or two in the walls of the clan compound if she and Hyuga Kida were to come to blows.

Thankfully, the confrontation was put to an end when an ANBU appeared between the two of them in a flicker.

"Hyuga-san, Kato-sama is expecting Hanabi."

With that, the dense chakra emitting from both Hyugas dissipated as they both got the silent cue to drop it. Hanabi gave the distasteful father-son pair one last glare before turning around on her heels and walked out of the Hyuga compound. Matatabi's flames vanished as she willed it away and her eyes returned to their original colour. She felt the ANBU guard catching up to her as he accompanied her by her side, walking around with her in plain view.

"Thanks for earlier." She said in a volume that could only be heard between the two of them as they made their way towards the Hokage Tower.

The ANBU that Hanabi had never seen before until today waved it off with a casual gesture of his hand.

"Don't sweat it, I'm just doing my job. Though I have to say, I did enjoy seeing you putting that brat in his place."

"Never liked him. I still wonder why otou-sama made his father the interim Clan Head in this crucial period."

The ANBU hummed in acknowledgement as he chose not to give an answer. Hanabi could not help but wonder just who this ANBU is. Even at a glance it is not hard to tell that this ANBU is skilled, _especially _skilled. Why would the village spare a shinobu of this calibre just for the sole purpose of guarding her when more than half of their forces are outside fighting a war right now?

She quickly put that thought at the back of her mind. It's not like she will get an answer even if she asked. If she has so much energy to ponder over such things she might as well put it to good use by growing stronger. That way, she can fight by his side the next time a war were to occur again.

He had always been her strength. This time, it's her turn to be his strength.


End file.
